Wearing a mask in public keeps you safe, but it can irritate your ears, dislodge your hearing aids, and negatively impact your communication. Audio Help wants to provide you with tricks to wear your hearing aids and mask without the hassle.
Adjust Mask Straps
If you wear behind-the-ear hearing aids, you’ve likely encountered problems while wearing a mask. The elastic ear loops hook around tubing and may dislodge your devices. Luckily, there are several ways to mitigate the intrusive effects of mask loops.
- Wear masks with four ties: Masks with fabric ties create an adjustable face covering that keeps the straps away from your ears. Tie them above and below your ears to eliminate interference with your hearing aids. Now you won’t have to worry about loops rubbing your ears.
- Create loop extensions: Sew buttons onto a length of fabric, leather, or plastic to extend the reach of your mask loops. The extensions direct the loops up and away from your ears so they don’t touch your devices. Mask extensions also ensure your mask fits snuggly to your face.
- Headbands: Sewing buttons onto a cloth headband allows you to attach your mask loops in front of your ears. The buttons secure the mask loops tightly without catching your hearing aids. This is a good option for people with glasses because the straps lay over the arms as well.
Remove Your Mask In A Safe Place
Taking your mask off in a public place increases your risk of losing one or both hearing aids. It’s a good idea to take off your mask in a secure location, like your home, because you limit the number of places you’ll have to search if you lose a hearing aid.
Remove masks in open spaces at home, so you don’t have to search under counters, tables, or chairs. Hearing aids will be easier to spot in open areas.
Communication Techniques While Wearing A Mask
Face masks make lip-reading impossible and muffle speech, which makes communication hard for those with hearing loss. Good communication is essential for staying connected with loved ones and following doctor’s orders.
- Face the person and get their attention before you speak. You’ll direct your voice forward and have their undivided attention.
- Speak slowly and clearly. A mask already muffles your voice, so speaking slowly gives your listener time to process what you’re saying. Shouting can also irritate people with sensitive ears.
- Don’t interrupt each other. Let the other person finish their sentence before you ask for clarification.
- Rephrase miscommunications. Using different words and phrases can help to achieve clarity.
Schedule an appointment at one of Audio Help’s convenient locations today.
