Tips For Wearing a Face Mask With Hearing Aids

With the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is required to wear a face mask in public to help prevent the spread of the virus.

For people with hearing aids, especially behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids, this may be easier said than done! That’s because face masks pose extra challenges for people with hearing impairments: It’s harder to understand people when they are speaking to you with a mask covering most of their face. If you wear hearing aids, the ear loops may tug on your hearing aids causing other problems, such as irritation or discomfort on the ear as well as increased risk of losing the hearing aid.

In the past few weeks, I have encountered many patients who have either lost or damaged their hearing aids when pulling off their masks. I have therefore compiled a list of suggestions to help prevent these problems when wearing hearing aids and a face mask:

1. If you have long hair, pull it back into a bun or a ponytail with an elastic tie
2. Rather than looping the elastic of the mask on the ears, use a special mask extender with buttons or other holders to attach the mask loops onto the back of the head, instead of the ears. These can be either made or bought.
3. It is preferable to wear a mask that has either four strings or elastic bands that tie behind the head rather than worn with an elastic on the ears.
4. Place your hearing aids on first and then the mask. Check that the hearing aid is still in place during and following removal of the mask.
5. Remove your mask at home in an open area or over a table so that if the hearing aids fall out, they can be found more easily
6. If your hearing aids are compatible with your smart phone, you may be able to use your app to detect your lost hearing aid. In general, the app indicates the last time the hearing aid and phone were connected
7. If you don’t have the above apps, then don’t panic! Take your time and be patient. Zone off areas where it is most likely you lost your hearing aid.
8. Make sure that your insurance policy is always up to date in the event of a lost or damaged instrument

HOW TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WHILE WEARING FACE MASKS

People with hearing loss, who rely quite extensively on face cues and lip reading, are experiencing more difficulty with communicating when people wear face masks. Even people with normal hearing rely on face cues and lip reading to hear certain speech sounds and to understand certain emotions. For people with hearing loss, listening to speech while the person is wearing a face mask can also lessen the intensity of speech and distort certain high pitch consonant sounds.

Here are a few handy tips to assist with communication when wearing face masks:

1. Ask people to speak slowly, clearly and at a normal volume with good enunciation and avoid raising their voice or shouting
2. Ask people to rephrase remarks when not understood rather than just repeating themselves
3. Don’t be afraid to ask people to repeat themselves
4. Use short simple sentences
5. Ask people to communicate to you face to face (at a safe distance!)
6. Reduce background noise as much as possible
7. You can use writing to communicate in really poor listening situations
8. Use a different face mask – face masks with a transparent window are available so that you can see the person’s mouth and lips

Wearing masks in general during this stressful time can be a frustrating and difficult task. I hope these tips will make things a lot easier for hearing aid users going forward and reduce some of the stress associated with mask wearing!

Good luck and be safe!