Strengthen Communication in the Presence of Hearing Loss

Communication in the presence of hearing loss can be difficult—for both parties. For those with hearing loss, limited hearing can be upsetting and exhausting, and for their communication companions, the constant repeating can be just as taxing.

However, the challenge can be alleviated providing both parties take responsibility for productive conversation. Since communication is a two-way process, each parties should work together to conquer the challenges of hearing loss.

Below are some useful tips for effective communication.

Guidelines for those with hearing loss

If you have hearing loss:

• Aim at full disclosure; don’t simply point out that you have difficulty hearing. Detail the cause of your hearing loss and supply recommendations for the other person to best converse with you.
• Suggest to your conversation partner things such as:
• Keep short distances between us
• Face-to-face communication is best
• Get my attention prior to speaking with me
• Speak slowly and clearly without yelling
• Choose tranquil places for conversations. Reduce background noise by shutting off music, finding a quiet booth at a restaurant, or identifying a quiet room at home.
• Retain a sense of humor. Our patients frequently have fond memories of ridiculous misunderstandings that they can now laugh about.

Keep in mind that people are generally empathetic, but only when you make the effort to explain your situation. If your communication partner is cognizant of your difficulties and preferences, they’re far less likely to become irritated when communication is disrupted.

Tips for those without hearing loss

If your communication partner has hearing loss:

Gain the person’s attention before speaking. Don’t yell from across the room and face the person when speaking.

Make sure the person can see your lips and enunciate your words diligently. Sustain a consistent volume in your speech.

Limit background noise by finding quiet areas for discussions. Turn off the television or radio.

In groups, ensure that only one person is speaking at any given time.

Remember that for those with hearing loss, it is a hearing problem, not a comprehension problem. Be prepared to repeat yourself occasionally, and remember that this is not caused by a lack of intelligence on their part.

Never use the phrase “never mind.” This phrase is dismissive and indicates that the person is not worthy of having to repeat what was significant enough to say originally.

When communication breaks down, it’s easy to blame the other person, but that’s the wrong approach.

As an example, consider John and Mary. John has hearing loss and Mary has normal hearing, and they are having considerable communication issues. John thinks Mary is insensitive to his hearing loss and Mary believes that John is using his hearing loss as a reason to be inattentive.

As an alternative, what if John found techniques to improve his listening skills, and offered advice for Mary to communicate better? At the same time, what if Mary did the same and tried to find ways that she could communicate more clearly.

Now, both John and Mary are accepting responsibility for their own communication and are not blaming the other person for the difficulties. This is the only path to better communication.

Do you have any communication tips you’d like to include? Tell us in a comment.