The holiday season in Indiana is full of reasons to gather. Thanksgiving with the whole family. Church services and Christmas concerts. Neighborhood parties and New Year’s Eve with friends.
But if you have hearing loss, those same gatherings can be some of the hardest days of the year. Overlapping conversations, background music, and noisy kitchens can turn a joyful celebration into hours of straining to keep up.
You do not have to sit on the sidelines. These ten practical hearing loss holiday tips can help you stay in the conversation and enjoy the season.
Why the Holidays Can Be So Hard to Hear
The most common type of hearing loss affects high pitched sounds first. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, age related hearing loss most often affects the ability to hear high pitched sounds, while low pitched sounds are often unaffected. Many of the consonants that make speech clear, like s, f, th, and t, live in that high pitched range.
Add background noise, and those soft sounds get buried. Cleveland Clinic notes that people with age related hearing loss often struggle to understand speech in noisy places like crowded rooms. Holiday parties are about as crowded and noisy as it gets.
10 Tips for Enjoying Holiday Gatherings
1. Choose your seat carefully
The Hearing Loss Association of America recommends sitting with a wall behind you and away from a busy kitchen. A wall behind you blocks some of the noise coming from that direction.
2. Sit in the middle of the table
HLAA also suggests sitting toward the middle of the table, where you can see more faces. Watching lips and expressions helps fill in sounds you might miss.
3. Let the host know ahead of time
A quick message before the party, like “Could you save me a seat in the middle, away from the kitchen?” makes it easy for your host to help.
4. Ask to lower the music
Holiday music sets the mood, but it competes with conversation. Most hosts are happy to turn it down during dinner if you ask.
5. Move important conversations to a quieter room
If you want to really catch up with someone, step into a quieter room. HLAA suggests having one on one conversations away from the main noise.
6. Get rest before the event
Listening in noise takes real effort. Going into a long gathering well rested can make it easier to keep up and enjoy yourself.
7. Take short breaks
Step outside, help in a quieter part of the house, or sit in a calm room for a few minutes. Short breaks can help you recharge for the rest of the evening.
8. Bring a hearing buddy
A spouse, friend, or grown child who knows about your hearing can quietly fill you in when you miss something, or steer conversations toward quieter spots.
9. Be honest about what you need
Saying “I have trouble hearing in noise, would you mind facing me?” is not rude. Most people appreciate knowing how to help.
10. If you wear hearing aids, prepare them
Charge your devices or pack extra batteries, and make sure you know how to switch to a setting designed for noisy places. HLAA recommends selecting the appropriate sound setting on your hearing aids or cochlear implants for the environment.
Why Staying Connected Matters
It can be tempting to skip gatherings that feel exhausting. But pulling away has a real cost. A 2020 systematic review found that most studies linked hearing loss to a higher risk of loneliness and social isolation in older adults.
There is encouraging news, too. In the ACHIEVE clinical trial, published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2025, older adults who received hearing care kept on average one more person in their social network over three years than those in a control group. Treating hearing loss may help people stay connected to the people who matter most.
When to Get Your Hearing Checked
If holiday gatherings have gotten harder each year, it may be time for a hearing evaluation. Common signs include:
- People seem to mumble, especially in groups
- You understand men’s voices better than women’s or children’s
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- The TV is louder than others in your home prefer
- You feel worn out after social events
A hearing evaluation measures how well you hear across different pitches and how well you understand speech, including in background noise. That gives you a clear picture of what is happening and what can help.
Make This Season Easier to Hear
The holidays are about connection. You deserve to hear every toast, every story, and every “I love you” this season.
Bright Life Hearing Care helps Indiana families hear clearly and stay connected. Call us at 812.906.5149 to schedule your hearing evaluation and start the new year hearing your best.
Sources
- Hearing Loss Association of America: Holiday Hints
- Shukla et al., Hearing Loss, Loneliness, and Social Isolation: A Systematic Review (2020)
- JAMA Internal Medicine: Hearing Intervention, Social Isolation, and Loneliness (ACHIEVE, 2025)
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Age Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
- Cleveland Clinic: Presbycusis (Age Related Hearing Loss)