Port Washington Audiologist Offers Holiday Video Call Tips

With Thanksgiving and the winter holidays around the corner, millions of families are pivoting to virtual gatherings to help keep loved ones healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. While video chat and other internet tools are excellent for celebrating safely, they can present a challenge to those who wear hearing aids, who may have difficulty following conversations through screens and speakers.

“We want to best prepare our patients to be fully present and feel a part of any holiday celebrations taking place, virtually or otherwise,” said Jessica Gibson, Clinical Specialist at New York-based hearing aid and audiology center I Love Hearing.

To help patients prepare for the virtual holiday season, I Love Hearing is offering two-week hearing aid trials so patients can adjust to their devices and put them to the test in everyday situations, including over videoconferencing software like Zoom and Facetime.

“The best way to know if a hearing aid is right for you is to try it in different scenarios,” Gibson said. “It is important for us that you try them so you know for certain that a particular pair of hearing aids is right for you.”

According to Gibson, the trial involves coming to I Love Hearing for an initial appointment, fitting, and tuning, including special tuning to better understand speech through masks, as has become commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients will return to I Love Hearing after testing their devices during calls with their family and friends to discuss how the trial went and for further fine-tuning to decide if the hearing aids are right for them.

“We want to know how the devices worked for you – you can try them out in office by making a call while wearing your hearing aids, and we can help you right there,” Gibson said. “If the pair you tried are a good fit – great! If not, we can try a different route.”

According to Seth Dank, M.A., F.A.A.A, of I Love Hearing, the virtual holidays may be challenging for people who are hard of hearing because videoconferencing can experience lags in the audio transmission which can make conversation difficult to follow.

“Speakers tend to distort sound and speech, so that will impact someone’s ability to hear and keep up with the conversation,” Mr. Dank said. “Hearing aids can help equip patients to follow along.”

To help those who wear hearing aids better comprehend what’s being said, the audiologist recommends that speakers talk slowly, enunciate clearly, and introduce the topic at hand before discussing it.

“If you’re ready to discuss the grandchildren, say who you want to speak about, so the listener knows who you’re talking about; this will help them decipher and fill in the blanks,” he said.

When it comes to the hearing aids themselves, many hearing aid models make video calling easier, as they’re equipped with Bluetooth connectivity which pairs directly with the wearer’s device of choice.

“This helps the wearer have a better interaction with their family over Zoom or Facetime,” Gibson said, adding that smartphones and laptops are equipped with accessibility features that can also help improve comprehension.

For those who do not have Bluetooth equipped hearing aids, Gibson recommends sitting in a quieter environment free of background noise, preferably in a corner for improved acoustics. Mr. Dank added that hearing aid wearers should sit close to the WiFi router to ensure a stable connection and cut down on any lag that may result from a bad connection.

“If the internet lags, it can slow down and distort the speech, which makes it harder to lip read and garbles the audio,” he said.

Hearing aid experts caution against turning up the volume on the smartphone or tablet being used during the video chat, as this can further distort speech.

“Louder does not always mean easier to hear,” Gibson said.

Gibson also recommends taking time a few days before the holiday celebration to make sure that everything is in working order. This may include updating smartphone or laptop software so Bluetooth hearing aids connect more reliably. This may also involve cleaning and adjusting hearing aids; I Love Hearing patients with hearing aids - even if they are not still within their warranty period - can get both at any of the practice’s Long Island or New York City locations.

New and returning patients interested in the two-week hearing aid trial can make an appointment at any I Love Hearing location. For more information, including office hours, visit www.ilovehearing.com.

ABOUT I LOVE HEARING

I Love Hearing offers hearing aid fittings, hearing aid service, hearing aid testing, hearing protection products, hearing aid accessories, hearing aid classes and workshops, tinnitus therapy, and ear wax management under the care of experienced hearing professionals. I Love Hearing sells nearly every brand on the market, and services all brands of hearing aids and hearing protection. Locations include the Upper East Side of Manhattan and four in Long Island in Nassau County: Port Washington, New Hyde Park, Great Neck, and East Meadow. For more information, visit www.ilovehearing.com.