Restaurants are filled with clinking dishes, overhead music and lots of talking diners. For the 15% of U.S. adults with hearing loss, all that noise can create a challenging listening environment where conversations are hard to follow, and you leave feeling more exhausted than expected.
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can accommodate your hearing loss in restaurants to make your dining experience more pleasant.
1. Pick the Right Restaurant and Time
A popular restaurant on a Friday night will not be the most communication-friendly environment. If you want to have a chill evening, consider going to an off-the-beaten-track restaurant or dining at a less-busy time. Usually, before six and after eight, or during the middle of the week, will be less hectic.
2. Choose a Quiet Seat
You can’t ask everybody in the restaurant to speak more quietly, but picking a seat away from the kitchen and entryway will limit the amount of nearby noise. You can also request a corner booth or round table so that you can clearly see everyone you’re talking to.
3. Speak up for Yourself
When you can’t hear someone, don’t pretend you can. Instead, ask the speaker to repeat or rephrase what they said. If it would be helpful, you can also ask them to talk louder. Advocating for hearing needs doesn’t just help you; it lets the speaker know that what they say matters enough for you to double-check. If you’re having trouble hearing the waiter, ask them to come around to your seat so you can understand them better.
4. Wear Your Hearing Aids
Your hearing aids are technologically advanced devices designed to help you understand speech more clearly. Before you go, clean your devices and ensure that they are fully charged. You can even use their companion app to adjust their settings upon arrival to match the restaurant noise levels.
If your hearing aids used to provide the perfect amplification settings for busy environments but have since gotten a little less helpful, contact SoundLogic to schedule a repair and service appointment. It may simply be time for new settings to match your new hearing loss.
Sources
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2021, March 25). Quick statistics about hearing. National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. Nidcd. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing