Hearing Aids & Face Masks - Is There Only One Real Solution?
At Pocket Hearing we’ve seen a surge in people contacting us regarding lost hearing aids due to hearing aids falling off when removing masks. Fortunately, we have options to help. Pocket Hearing only retails instant-fit completely in the canal hearing aids and with nothing around the back of the ear there’s nothing to interfere with a mask.
Two Main Problems:
Wearing a face mask in public has become increasingly necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has caused two major issues for people with hearing loss.
People have found it to be increasingly challenging to communicate with others who are wearing masks, as they muffle sound and eliminate lip reading cues.
The elastic loop of a face mask around the ears is playing havoc with over the ear hearing aids. Hearing aids are pinging left, right and centre as we constantly put on and take off our masks. If you wear glasses as well, then best of luck to you!
One All-In-One Solution
You need a hearing aid with exceptional clarity to give you the best chance of hearing someone through a mask and one that is completely in the ear canal and out of the way of any face mask straps.
Tips For Your Current Behind-The-Ear Hearing Aids
If you still wear a behind the ear type of hearing aid, advice such as the following have been offered by hearing aid manufacturers and retailers:
Tip 1 – Use a mask extender, such as a paperclip, shoelace or ribbon.
Tip 2 – Sew two buttons onto either side of a hat
Tip 3 – Attach the mask via a ponytail
Tip 4 – Attach the face mask to a headband or Alice band using buttons
Tip 5 – Attach face mask to a barrette / hair clip above the ear
…Not Exactly Convenient!
The simplest, but not necessarily the cheapest, solution is to invest in some private completely in the canal hearing aids but these traditionally haven’t always been the most affordable. That is, until recently. Pocket Hearing has changed the rules by retailing fully functional, self-programming, mobile phone-controlled, completely in the canal ‘invisible’ hearing aids for hundreds instead of thousands of pounds. These can be fit in an ‘open’ or ‘closed’ manner and so are suitable for nearly all mild to severe hearing losses.
And because there is nothing behind the ear, you can wear a mask without any concern about putting on and removing your mask all day long.
Do You Need to Wear A Mask?
You could also choose to just not wear a mask at all. Socialising with friends, family and even the odd stranger is essential to good mental health, so if you are unable to communicate because a mask is interfering with your hearing aids, then you may want to make a decision not to wear it.
Government guidance says you do not need to wear a face covering if you have a legitimate reason not to – for example, due to, health, age or equality reasons.
According to Action On Hearing Loss, “You do not need to wear a face covering if you are unable to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability.
If you find you cannot wear your hearing aids or cochlear implant processor securely with a face covering, or if wearing a face covering interferes with your hearing aids or cochlear implant processor, this counts as a legitimate reason for not wearing one.
If you are communicating with someone who relies on facial expressions or lipreading, thanks to Action on Hearing Loss’s lobbying of UK government, if you are travelling with, or providing assistance to, someone who relies on lipreading or facial expressions to communicate, you are not required by law to wear a face covering.
You will not be acting illegally or face a penalty if you remove your face covering to communicate with someone who is deaf or has hearing loss and needs to see your face to communicate with you. You may want to maintain social distance while doing so.
These exemptions also apply to staff who have to wear a covering at work by law.”
What if I’m questioned?
Bear in mind that although you may have a legitimate reason not to wear your mask, you may be challenged by other people who are ignorant to the rules and the challenges of a disability. For this reason, Action On Hearing Loss have created a Face Covering Exemption Card that you can download and keep on your phone or print out and keep on your person.
Conclusion:
At Pocket Hearing, we may be a little biased but we do feel that we have the perfect solution to the face mask and hearing aids problem. Completely in the canal and out of the way is surely the way forward. You can take the test and order online and be wearing your new instant-fit invisible hearing aids within days.
Do you have any tips and advice to offer from your own experiences?