Extra Extra Read all about it! Dr. Courtney Cook has your holiday tips for hearing all you love this holiday season. The article can be reading the text bellow or by clicking here. hearingzonedoctors.com/…/Seniors_11_15_17.pdf
With the holidays quickly approaching, Hearing Zone would like to give some helpful communication skills to use with your loved ones this season. The four main factors that influence understanding conversational speech are:
Environment
- Background noise (music at a party)
- Room acoustics (tall ceilings)
- Lighting (dimly lit)
Speaker:
- Loudness of voice (volume)
- Rate of speech(talking too fast)
- Clarity of speech (mumblers)
Listener:
- Hearing Loss (severity of hearing impairment)
- Familiarity of speaker(new person)
- Distractions (lots of commotion going on around you)
Message:
- Auditory (spoken words)
- Visual (facial expressions)
Here are some helpful tips to achieve the ideal communicative environment. Keep a distance no greater than 6 feet from the speaker. Arrive early for situations that are more formal or structured so that you can stake out the best spot. Concentrate on phrases and ideas rather than trying to pick out single words. Watch the speaker’s lips, not their eyes (you’re a better lip-reader than you realize). Adjust the communication situation so that the noise sources are nearer the speaker than to you. Reduce noise as much as possible. Most importantly, advocate for yourself. If you are hearing impaired, let the speaker be aware of your impairment.
Ultimately, if you feel like you are struggling with your hearing, it’s a good idea to get your hearing checked by your local audiologist.
Our address is 3346 Lakeshore Ave.
Call us at 444-9773 or visit us at hearingzonedoctors.com.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Hearing Zone.