It’s approaching the holiday season and Black Friday, and the next several weeks will include frantic trips to the grocery store for missing Thanksgiving feast ingredients and holiday gift shopping. Even under the best of circumstances, running errands and going shopping during this time of year can be stressful, but for the almost 40 million U.S. adults who report having some trouble hearing, it can be especially daunting.
Challenges of Holiday Shopping with Hearing Loss
Our ability to hear is central to our situational awareness, so when you have hearing loss, it can make many everyday situations more overwhelming, as your brain and other senses struggle to make up for the situational information you’re missing. Moreover, your brain may overcompensate for missing sound information by turning the volume up on background noise, which can make focusing difficult. This makes minor tasks—such as seeking out a specific item on your list, engaging with a staff member or evaluating a price—significantly more challenging.
Tips for Your Shopping Trip
With all that in mind, let’s discuss some strategies on how to make your shopping experience easier and less stressful.
- Wear your hearing aids. Hearing aids are a massive help in complicated listening situations. They can tone down background noise and amplify speech, allowing you to focus. If you’re feeling especially overwhelmed, you can turn the volume down even further to a comfortable level.
- Ask about hearing loop systems. Many stores provide ADA-compliant hearing loops as an accommodation. This service transmits sounds like overhead announcements directly to your hearing aids, allowing clearer reception and less background noise.
- Go when it’s less busy. Store crowds are one of the most frustrating parts of holiday shopping. You can avoid the crowds by going during hours when people are typically at work or otherwise busy, like weekdays in the late mornings or in the evenings.
- Stay away from big box stores. Warehouse-style stores have high ceilings, concrete floors and metal piping everywhere—in short, they have terrible acoustics. Music and overhead announcements will echo, as will squeaky cart wheels, humming refrigerators and the sounds of conversation.
If you need further information on how to navigate shopping and daily life with hearing loss, or if you’re ready to begin your journey with hearing aids, contact Bangor Audiology. We want you to be successful this holiday season. Call today to make an appointment.