Do you have hearing loss? If so, you are part of an ever-growing population living with this disability. It’s estimated that around 50 million people in the US alone live with hearing loss and due to misinformation around listening safety, this number continues to grow. Hearing loss makes it difficult to connect to the people in your life when you are out in busy places with multiple conversations and sometimes inside your own home.
Do you find that you have been having conflict around the volume of the television with your significant other or family members? When you have hearing loss these kinds of contentious discussions can start to become as scheduled of an event as your favorite TV programing. People with hearing loss often need the television turned up all the way to hear, while other people with normal hearing suffer through shows turned up to extreme volumes. However, with focus hearing aids or the use of assisted living devices, watching TV can become an enjoyable family activity again.
Turn it Down!
When you have hearing loss and you’re watching television it’s normal to turn up the volume so you can hear. However, this could be causing more damage than good. Sound is measured in decibels and any decibel level which exceeds 85dB can start to damage hearing. While it takes 8 hours of constant exposure for 85 dB to damage hearing permanently, with a ten-degree increase, 95dB can damage your hearing in under an hour. If your family complains that the TV volume is hurting their ears it’s probably hurting yours as well. Hearing loss is a progressive condition and can easily get worse, with continued unsafe listening practices. Turn down the TV!
Invest in High-Quality Speakers
There is always the possibility that your speakers need an upgrade. Often built-in television speakers are easily distorted and cannot produce the full spectrum of sound needed to produce clear television audio. Enhanced speakers will improve the sound quality helping you to avoid the need to turn up the volume.
TV Headphones
Many people now enjoy watching TV with the help of assisted listening devices like TV headphones. TV headphones make it easier to hear the TV by using a transmitter device which is plugged into the TV. The transmitter streams television audio wirelessly to headphones worn by a person with hearing loss. You’ll be able to adjust the volume and adjust the tone so you can hear optimally from the comfort of your seat. Most TV headphones can be worn over your hearing aids, so you can still run your favorite hearing aid programs to help you hear. If there are multiple people in the room who have different hearing enhancement needs, many models for TV headphones offer multiple sets of headphones off one transmitter. This allows each listener to adjust their audio to their best-heard settings.
Connectivity Features
When you invest in hearing aids it’s important to base your selection off your lifestyle. If you enjoy movies, TV, music, and Smartphone use, then it could be beneficial to invest in hearing aids which offer Bluetooth Connectivity. Bluetooth works using radio waves instead of wires or cables to connect with your TV, car stereo, smartphone, or computer.
Enjoy the ease of instant connectivity to all your favorite sources of electronic sound without the tangle of wires or interruptions from the outside world. You can program and choose devices you want to hear ahead of time for instant connection when you turn on your favorite device. Watching TV is a dream when watching with family as you can let your family set the volume that’s best for them, and control your volume using your hearing aids.
Use Subtitles
When all else fails it’s always helpful to rely on closed captioning and subtitles. This way you can enjoy TV and make sure you know for sure what people are saying. Closed captioning is available on every major TV network, movies, streaming services and more.
Addressing a Hearing Loss
If you have noticed that you are arguing over the TV volume with your family night after night, it’s a sign that it’s time to have your hearing checked. The sooner you diagnose and address a hearing loss the sooner you can enjoy less conflict over miscommunication and more connectivity with the people and world you love. Schedule a hearing exam today.