Face Coverings and Hearing Loss

Tips for wearing a face covering if you use hearing aids or a cochlear implant

• Face coverings that tie around your head rather than loop over your ears will help keep your aids secure.
• If your mask has loops, try a mask extender which you use to link the straps at the back of your head rather than around your ears. Call us if you want to try one, we can post one out to you.
• Try to only remove your face covering when you are in a place where your hearing aid could be easily found if it does falls out.

Tips on communicating through masks for people with hearing loss.

• Ask them to speak clearly
• Ask them to repeat or phrase things differently if you do not understand
• Reduce background noise as much as possible by moving to a quieter space if possible
• Use assistive devices like remote microphones with hearing aids to improve the quality of speech over background noise.
• Write things down. Pen or paper or talk to text Apps such as Live Transcribe.

Safe working is of paramount importance to us. We are guided by the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists and follow their in-depth protocols and recommendations on safe working. We have plenty of PPE, strict cleaning schedules and a variety of checks to ensure the continued safety of staff and clients at Lakeland Hearing. We welcome you to our clinics but if you feel you would rather a telephone or video consultation please let us know and we can arrange to speak to you in a way that ensures your safety and comfort.

Coronavirus and Hearing Loss

2020 has been a vastly different year for most of us, Covid-19 has changed pretty much every aspect of our lives. As these changes filter through, we take stock on the impact for people with hearing loss.

1 in 6 adults in the UK are affected by some level of hearing loss. Many people with hearing loss rely on facial expressions and lip reading to communicate. When the government issued guidance on wearing face coverings due to the Coronavirus pandemic, thousands of people with hearing loss were put at a disadvantage as their means of communication was covered by a mask.

Thanks to work by Action on Hearing Loss UK if you are travelling with or assisting someone who relies on facial expressions and lip reading to communicate you are exempt from wearing a face covering. You will not be doing anything illegal or face a penalty if you remove your face covering to communicate with someone who is Deaf or has a hearing loss. You can download a printable exemption card or download an electronic exemption card to your smart phone from https://actiononhearingloss.org.uk/coronavirus-response/face-coverings-how-the-regulations-apply-to-you/

You can purchase or make your own face coverings with clear panels built in to allow the mouth to be seen. Despite clear masks tending to fog or steam up, they are generally seen as an improvement on a solid face covering as it allows the movement of lips and mouth to be seen.

Research into Covid-19 is beginning to appear, and some interesting connections are being made between the virus and changes in hearing. Research by a team from Manchester University suggest that over 1 in 10 adults who received hospital treatment for Covid-19 reported a change to their hearing status 8 weeks after leaving hospital. Currently it is unknown whether this change is as a result of the virus, the treatments given in hospital or from the excessive immune reaction by the body to the virus (International Journal of Audiology 2020). However, it suggests that the effects of Covid-19 on hearing care are going to last well into the future.

Safe working is of paramount importance to us. We are guided by the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists and follow their in-depth protocols and recommendations on safe working. We have plenty of PPE, strict cleaning schedules and a variety of checks to ensure the continued safety of staff and clients at Lakeland Hearing. We welcome you to our clinics but if you feel you would rather a telephone or video consultation please let us know and we can arrange to speak to you in a way that ensures your safety and comfort.

International Journal of Audiology 2020: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2020.1798519

5 tips for looking after your hearing

Hearing is delicate and susceptible to irreparable damage, even from everyday activities and environments that you might not consider to be a threat.

The theme of Deaf Awareness Week 2020 is ‘acquired hearing loss’, so we are sharing some simple things you can do to protect your hearing from environmental factors.

1. Avoid loud noises

Most people are aware that places like nightclubs and rock concerts can do damage to your hearing, but there are many loud noises in everyday life that can also cause problems. Things like lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, drills, hairdryers, or lots of traffic can all create a very loud environment.

It’s sensible to become familiar with the decibel levels of everyday activities and sounds and use the chart below to check what kind of risk they might pose.

2. Use soundproof ear protection

If you are ever exposed to loud environments - at work, at home, or during leisure activities - consider wearing soundproof ear defenders or earplugs for the duration of your exposure to the loud sounds.

3. Limit how often you listen to loud music

Listening to loud music through headphones and earphones can do damage to your hearing. Only listen to music at a volume that feels totally comfortable and try to avoid turning the volume up any higher than 60 per cent. Take regular breaks and try not to listen to music through headphones for any longer than an hour at a time.

4. Know the warning signs

It can be helpful to identify some of the warning signs that you’ve been exposed to unhealthy noise levels.

If, for example, you notice you aren’t able to hear as well as you could before, or if there is a ringing or buzzing in your ears, you might need to take a break from any loud noises and consider getting your hearing checked.

5. Ear care

Like any other part of your body, it is important to take good care of your ears and hearing. By getting an annual hearing check-up with an audiologist, you can keep on top of how your hearing is doing and catch any potential issues early.

Never stick anything into your ear canals – including cottons buds or a finger.

Be vigilant and if you ever notice a change in your hearing, seek advice from an audiologist as soon as possible. Like most health issues, the quicker you act the quicker you can avoid things getting worse.

Give your ears a rest. By staying away from any loud noises as much as you can, your ears can rest and recover, which is important in maintaining good hearing health.

Article source: hearingdogs.org.uk