Though it’s great to spend a night out in St. Louis enjoying a nice dinner at Zia’s Restaurant, it’s also fun to have a cozy night in with your family watching TV.
Hearing loss can make it harder to understand what’s being said during a movie or TV show. This makes it hard for the person with hearing loss to follow along and can be unpleasant for others watching as well, especially if the volume keeps needing to be turned up.
Hearing Aids Make Watching TV Easier
The good news is that research has shown that people with hearing loss who use hearing aids report fewer difficulties watching TV than those who leave their hearing loss untreated.
This isn’t a surprise since hearing aids can make listening easier in any environment. However, let’s take a look at a few of the ways hearing aids can improve your experience.
- Hearing aid settings. Many hearing aids have the option to switch to different settings which can better suppress background noise and make it easier to focus on the sounds you want to hear. Finding the right settings can make it much easier to follow what’s happening on the screen.
- Bluetooth®. In addition to specialized settings, a lot of newer hearing aids have Bluetooth capabilities. This is a great feature to use when watching TV with others, as the sound can play normally in the room as it is sent to your hearing aids. You also have the ability to adjust the volume easily and discreetly on the corresponding hearing aid app to fit your preferences. This way you can change the volume for yourself while not affecting those around you.
- Telecoil. Another feature found in many hearing aids is telecoil. When switched on, this also lets you stream audio from the TV directly into your hearing aids, minimizing background noise and making it easier to distinguish the sounds onscreen.
Other Tips For Viewers With Hearing Loss
In addition to finding the right hearing aid settings and technology, you can try a few other strategies to help follow along.
- Use subtitles or closed captioning. This allows you to be able to read anything you might have missed without getting frustrated.
- Invest in quality speakers. They can provide increased clarity in sounds without a need to increase the volume, making onscreen conversations easier to follow.
- Configure your TV settings. Different sound settings on your TV can provide a better listening experience, for example changing the settings to “Stereo” or “Enhanced” if your TV has surround sound features.
Reach Out if You’re Having Trouble Hearing
If you’ve noticed that you’re needing to turn the volume up on the TV or that you can’t quite follow conversations like you used to, these are often early signs of hearing loss. Call the experts at Center for Hearing & Speech today and schedule an appointment for a hearing test.
