Face Masks Create New Challenges For People With Hearing Loss

Press release from Atlantic Hearing Care: Though stay-at-home and face masks are meant to protect you and the public, they are making it even harder on those who have difficulty hearing. The combination of wearing masks and social distancing greatly reduces the loudness and clarity of speech for everyone, but even more for the hearing impaired. Everyday speech becomes muffled and difficult to follow.

“People living with even mild hearing loss need visual cues from the speaker, lip-reading and facial expressions, to be able fill in the blanks of what was misheard and to follow conversation. At a time when people need connection, the necessity of social distancing, stay-in-place and face masks are isolating people even more,” says Dr. Joan McCormack, who owns and operates Atlantic Hearing Care.

Hearing loss affects people of all ages and is considered the third most common chronic condition in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control. As many as a third of people over age 65 have some hearing loss increasing to over half of those over age 75. “Hearing loss usually happens gradually, often others may notice it before you do,” says McCormack. “People may start to recognize this more and more now without those visual cues.” Untreated hearing loss can leave people isolated, depressed and increases the risk of cognitive decline.

Hearing is essential for keeping connected to others and the world around us. To maintain infection control and provide compassionate care Dr. McCormack and her staff are using clear masks. These masks allow audiologists to treat patients while still making it possible for patients to see their lips and face. “Many of our patients and families have asked for these masks to use at home, we currently have some cloth ones on order to be able to offer them to the public as well as our patients,” noted McCormack. Please call Atlantic Hearing Care at 781-581-1500 for more information.

This press release was produced by Atlantic Hearing Care. The views expressed here are the author's own.