Give yourself the best chance to hear

If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it is the true value of our family and friends and the importance of how we communicate with each other.

As we slowly come out the confines of Covid and re-engage with our lives, we will encounter many areas where hearing loss can be a problem, especially as masks are apparently here to stay for a good while yet, reducing the fricative sounds of speech and preventing facial cues and lip reading.

You can make the best of a difficult hearing situation by positioning yourself at the edge of a room, so the sounds of the room are in front of you and not coming from all sides.

Make sure that you and the person or people you are speaking to are facing each other so the sound comes to you and is not lost into the room. If possible, reduce background sounds such as television, music and keep other life sounds such as fans, kettles and washing machines away from you during conversations.

Transport can also be a problem as often there is background noise and people are not facing each other; again if possible position yourself so you are near the side of the vehicle and in the best position to face others as best as you can.

If you are having any difficulty, or if you would just like a device to use for streaming music or as a hands-free set in the car, then why not take advantage and have a pair of hearing aids that won’t cost you a penny if you have the PRSI grant. Bonavox are offering very high quality aids that not only work as hearing aids but can also be connected to your TV, phone, car, or any other Bluetooth device, call 1800-480888 for advice.