Shopping during the holidays is a hectic experience. With the combination of people rushing about, overhead announcements, shopping cart wheels on the floor, crinkling bags and background music, stores can create a bit of a hearing challenge—especially if you’re among the 15% of U.S. adults with hearing loss.
Let’s look at a few ways you can manage hearing loss to ease a little of the holiday shopping stress this year.
Wear Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are a must-have for holiday shopping. A few ways they can improve your experience include:
- Amplifying speech. The amplified speech hearing aids provide can help you understand store cashiers, floor workers and fellow shoppers. You’ll enjoy shopping more when you don’t have to strain to hear everybody.
- Filtering background noise. Newer hearing aids use advanced AI processing to separate and suppress irrelevant background noise. When all that background sound isn’t pulling your focus, you can enjoy a more relaxing shopping experience.
- Masking tinnitus. Experiencing ringing in the ears while shopping can cause extra holiday stress. If your hearing aids have a tinnitus masking setting, try turning it on while you shop.
Go During off Hours
You may not be able to achieve an entirely silent experience during holiday shopping, but shopping during off-peak hours can help minimize noise. If you’re planning a trip to Sprouts Farmers Market for some Thanksgiving staples, consider going in the morning, around opening time or after seven at night. Weekdays will also be quieter than weekends in most cases.
Write a List
Write a shopping list before going to the store so you can enter and exit as smoothly as possible. If you’re going to an often-visited store, try writing the list in sections based on where the items are in the store so you don’t have to walk back and forth.
Shop at Small Businesses
The large footprint and huge customer base of bigger stores create a poor hearing environment. Shopping at small businesses offers a quieter, more relaxing shopping experience and has the added bonus of supporting your local economy.
By employing a few of these tips, you can grab all your gifts and tasty treats without the added stress. For more information on managing your hearing loss, contact ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia today.