Hearing loss is a common condition. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), “one in eight people in the United States (or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears.”
If you are one of the millions with hearing loss, you may be nervous about how the condition may impact your dating life.
Let’s look at a few ways to make your dating experience easier and more enjoyable when you have hearing loss.
Wear Hearing Aids on Your Dates 
The best way to make sure hearing loss has as little an impact on your life as possible is to seek proper treatment for it. This involves scheduling a hearing test with an audiologist and discussing your options, which usually involve hearing aids.
Hearing aids make it easier for you to process speech and sound. They can also help you ignore the background chatter and focus in on what your date is saying when you’re out somewhere in Concord, like Luna Restaurant.
Be Open About Your Hearing Loss
While it’s certainly not the first thing you need to disclose about yourself when dating someone new, being open about your hearing loss will make it easier for both of you. It can give you a chance to talk about helpful communication strategies, such as making sure they face you and avoid covering their mouth while speaking. It can also be helpful for them to know that if you misunderstand or don’t hear something they said, it wasn’t due to you not paying attention, which can avoid the potential for hurt feelings.
Pick Quiet Spots When Possible
Even with hearing aids, an extremely loud venue like a packed bar on a Saturday night is probably not the best date location if you have hearing loss. Instead, opt for quieter restaurants, coffee shops or a relaxing stroll through the park. Communication is essential for forming new relationships. Picking locations with less background noise, not to mention good lighting, will make it far easier for you to get to know each other.
Bottom Line
Though dating with hearing loss may seem daunting, the right treatment, planning and open communication can make it much easier.
If you would like to learn more about hearing loss or the ways in which hearing aids can benefit you, call the experts at Valley Audiology and make an appointment today.
