Face Masks and Hearing Aids. Avoid the tangle
Face masks are a fact of life for most of us now when we’re out and about. Unfortunately we’ve had quite a few clients come to us having lost or dropped and damaged their behind-the-ear hearing aids due to entanglements with mask ties. So here are some tips for avoiding the tangle.
If your face mask has ties, then be sure to tie the straps high up on your head and low on your neck as this will avoid obstructing your hearing aids. When it comes to removing your mask, undo the bottom ties first then the top to avoid knocking your hearing aids off.
If your face mask has elastic bands that loop behind your ears, the best option to avoid the hearing aid tangle is to use a mask extender. You can make one yourself or buy one easily and cheaply online. They’re very simple to use: the elastic bands of the mask simply loop around the connections or buttons on the extender.
When removing the mask, unloop the elastic from one side of the extender first. If you do this slowly you shouldn’t encounter any problems.
If you have a mask with elastic bands that go horizontally over your head, rather than around your ears, be sure to place the top elastic band high on your head and the bottom elastic band low on your neck. When removing the mask, release the top band first and then slowly pull the bottom one over your head.
Whichever form of mask you have, aim to remove it in a safe place – in your car or at home – where, if your hearing aids do fall off, they won’t be damaged and you’ll be able to find them easily.
A clear approach
While we’re on the topic of face masks, they obviously can create big communication problems for people with a hearing loss because they muffle sound and eliminate lip reading cues. If this is the case for you, it’s worth asking friends and family who aren’t in your bubble to consider wearing a transparent mask when they’re with you. Again, there are many types available online and they’re reasonably priced.
Have you heard about remote microphones?
Hearing aid manufacturers offer a sleek and clever wireless remote microphone which offers additional support in loud noise, over distance – or if your communication partner is wearing a face mask. The microphone streams the voice directly to your hearing devices. Remote mic technology enables you to maintain a safe social distance while playing a full part in conversation. Please get in touch if you want to know more.
