Dating can be a challenging experience for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for individuals with hearing loss. We hope to provide helpful tips to improve your dating experiences.
We all know the purpose of dating is to find someone you are compatible with and enjoy being around. A lot of conversations take place during this process! Sometimes, the conversations are easier to hear - a quiet lunch, a drink before dinner. Sometimes the conversations are more difficult due to a noisy environment. Even if you go to a movie, understanding the movie is essential to participating in the conversation afterwards. If you have an untreated hearing loss, the easier conversations can become difficult to understand and the difficult ones can become impossible!
Hearing aids can help! Not only can hearing aids help you hear better, but there are features that can make dating easier! For example, today’s hearing aids have bluetooth capability. When paired to your phone, you can stream your phone calls and other media directly to your hearing aids. This means no background noise and the benefit of binaural hearing (which makes it considerably easier to understand). No more questioning what time to meet and where! Maybe you won’t have to ask for a repeat during a “get to know you” conversation. Streaming may also be beneficial during movies or while watching TV.
Another feature that can prove beneficial is noise reduction technology.While eating at a busy restaurant, or listening to your favorite band, directional microphones can help you minimize the sounds coming from behind you and allow you to focus on the person you’re trying to hear - that date in front of you. In more advanced hearing aids, the circuitry also aids in reducing background noise, allowing noise to become softer while keeping speech at a comfortable volume.Other accessories can work with your hearing aids to improve listening situations, such as TV streamers, table microphones and remote microphones just to name a few.
Making sure you are hearing the best you can is the first step. Manipulating the listening environment is the second. Make sure the person you are speaking with is looking at you and the light is on their face - making it easier to get clues from their lips and face. Make sure the background noise is behind you - as much as possible. Choose tables away from the source of any noise (kitchens/bands/karaoke machine). If you are comfortable with your date, let them know that speaking clearly and slowly (not louder) will help you understand them - and it never hurts to let them know how much you want that!
Regardless of your idea of a perfect date, hearing well allows you to relax and enjoy the moment. And everyone in the dating world can appreciate that benefit!