Have you ever been talking with a friend over a latte at Cutters Point Coffee and realized that you can hear their voice, but you’re still missing what they’re saying?
This is a common experience for people with hearing loss. Especially in the early stages, hearing loss can reduce the clarity of conversation without necessarily taking away the sound of it altogether.
The Importance of Hearing Specific Sounds
When hearing loss affects certain frequencies,[1] some of the smaller details that make speech understandable may become difficult to hear. Consonants such as “s,” “f,” “th” and “t” use higher-frequency sounds. If those sounds aren’t coming through clearly, words can begin to sound alike.
For example, when someone says “Miss me?” and you don’t hear the “s” sound clearly, the short phrase may appear nonsensical. Your brain then must fill in the missing information based on context. Sometimes it will fill in the information correctly, but at other times you might be led to things like “misery” or “mini”—neither of which will be terribly helpful for the overall point of the conversation.
Background noise can make speech comprehension even more challenging. A conversation at a quiet kitchen table may be relatively easy to follow, while the same conversation at a crowded restaurant can feel like a completely different experience. Your hearing system has to separate the person you want to hear from all the other sounds happening around you.
How Can I Make Speech Easier to Understand?
If you frequently find yourself saying “What?” or relying on lip reading and context clues to follow conversations, a hearing specialist can determine whether hearing loss is contributing to the problem. Depending on your hearing needs, there are several ways to improve communication:
- Consider hearing aids. Hearing aids amplify the specific frequencies you struggle to hear and often include features designed to make speech easier to follow in noisy environments.
- Use communication strategies. Small changes can make a significant difference. When possible, move to a quieter area, face the person you’re speaking with, reduce competing background noise and ask others to get your attention before speaking.
- Give your brain time to adjust. If you’ve been living with hearing loss for a while, comprehending speech, even with hearing aids, may be difficult. Consistent hearing-aid use gives your brain more opportunities to get back in the habit of hearing clearly.
Our specialist can help you communicate more clearly. Contact Olympic Hearing & Balance to schedule your hearing test with one of our specialists.
[1] Turner, J. S., Jr., & Per-Lee, J. H. (1990). Auditory dysfunction: Hearing loss. In H. K. Walker, W. D. Hall, & J. W. Hurst (Eds.), Clinical methods: The history, physical, and laboratory examinations (3rd ed., Chapter 120). Butterworths. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225/