How to make the most of your hearing

What else might help me to hear as well as possible?

Whether or not you wear hearing aids, there are things you can do to help make the most of the hearing you have.

Organising your listening environment

You will understand people better if you can see their faces clearly when they speak. Ideally, the person speaking to you should have their face toward the light. For example, sit with your back to the window so they are facing the window. Try to keep them within a few feet of you; some of the quiet speech sounds get lost over distances, so voices sound more fuzzy when people stand further away from you.

Ask your family and friends to help. You probably won't hear them if they speak to you from another room. They should face you and speak clearly. Shouting distorts our voice and lip patterns, and can make it harder for you to understand them.

Eating out: room echo is much more noticeable to people with hearing loss than to people with normal hearing. Curtains, carpets and soft furnishings help to reduce echo, so look out for restaurants or cafes with that sort of decor. Find the quietest area you can so that you can follow conversation better. For example, avoid sitting near the door, where other people will be coming and going.

Action on Hearing Loss| produce leaflets with other ideas you might want to try out.

Aids to daily living

There are many devices that can help you to hear better at home – for example, amplified telephones, flashing doorbells, and alarm clocks that flash or vibrate. There is also equipment that can help with listening to the radio or television.

Ask us if you would like more information on this type of equipment. Social Services can also provide advice and sometimes free equipment on loan. Contact us for details of how to get in touch with them. You can also get information on products to buy from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People or from the Hampshire Deaf Association.|

If your TV set has teletext you can view text on the screen. Many programmes now have subtitles to make it easier to follow the dialogue.

Lip reading

We all lip read a little, and developing this skill can be helpful even with a mild hearing loss. Adult education centres and colleges of further education often run lip reading classes. Ask us for further information, or contact the Association of Teachers of Lip Reading to Adults|.

Special funding

If you have hearing difficulties at work, the Access to Work scheme| may be able to part-fund equipment to help you there. Ask us or your local Job Centre for details.

Students with a hearing loss may be entitled to equipment and special arrangements to help them to hear better during their studies. Ask your college about this, or contact Action on Hearing Loss.| 

Please see our links page for addresses and further contact information|.