Sometimes, cooking doesn’t feel worth the effort. When that’s the case, dining out is the perfect solution. However, dining out with hearing loss often comes with its own challenges.
The Challenge Of Dining Out With Hearing Loss
When you walk into a busy restaurant, the clamor of clinking glasses, silverware, chatting families and music fills the air. The communication challenge created by busy environments is commonly known as the “cocktail party” effect. People without hearing loss can usually mentally subdue the background noise for better speech understanding. For those with hearing loss, the brain struggles to filter out the background noise and focus on the speech, transforming fun conversations into an exhausting experience.
Extra listening effort and mental exhaustion are probably not what you look for in an evening out. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can minimize the cocktail party effect for a better meal.
Minimizing The Cocktail Party Effect
You don’t have to let hearing loss keep you from enjoying a night out. Here’s how you can make the most of your dining adventures:
- Choose quiet restaurants or non-peak hours to dine
- Choose outdoor seating when possible
- Sit away from the kitchen, entrance or live music
- Pick a centrally located seat where you can see your dining companions face-to-face
- Read the menu beforehand to speed up the ordering process
- Ask your server to look at you when they speak
In addition to these simple tips, hearing aids can significantly improve your dining experience. The tiny devices collect and amplify speech sounds to clarify your communication. Many modern devices also have directional microphones and noise suppression technology to help you drown out background noise and focus on what’s important—good food and fun conversation.
With a few helpful tips and the advanced technology of hearing aids, your hearing loss doesn’t need to interrupt a nice night out. Contact Speech & Hearing Associates today to discuss how our experts can further improve your experience with hearing loss.