Why Do Masks Make it Difficult to Communicate?

In this year unlike any other, we have been learning how to make the most of our lives in the context of constraints. Although we can’t do all the activities we once enjoyed, research has demonstrated the power of masks to block infections in the form of aerosols, and they have proven remarkably effective in preventing the transmission of viral infections. 

While masks are an essential part of life right now, they also come with a frustrating context for many of us, particularly those with hearing loss or hearing impairment. You might wonder what makes it so much more difficult to communicate while wearing a mask. We are able to have telephone conversations, aren’t we? 

Let’s walk through some of the features of spoken communication that makes masks difficult to navigate, as well as some of the things you can do to make it easier for those in your life who have hearing loss. 

Masks and Communication

When we communicate face-to-face, we engage in a multi-sensory process of meaning making and communication. Not only does our voice express meaning through language, but our faces and bodies gesture and demonstrate the context for what we mean to convey. Just as a text message can easily be taken out of context, we use facial expressions to register the connotation of speech. 

In addition, we use the unconscious process of “lipreading” to add to the meaningful context, particularly when we are in a noisy room or otherwise have our hearing impeded. For those who have hearing loss, the process of reading mouth movement to contribute to language can be unconscious or conscious. Some people find themselves looking directly at mouths when they have trouble hearing. Masks make it impossible to read mouth movements in this way, and they complicate the process of reading facial expressions quite a bit. 

Perhaps you’ve had the experience of crinkling your eyes to imply the smile beneath the mask! Yet, the question remains why this process is so different from a telephone call. Social conventions, formal and informal, dictate the pace and process of a telephone call, and many of us can raise the volume of the call to a sufficient level to make sense of what is being said. In addition to the visual dimension of masks, the audible one cannot be denied. 

When we are masked, the same barrier that protects us from potentially harmful aerosols also prevents sound from easily transmitting through the air. That muffled sound can add to the already-difficult communication process for someone with hearing loss, making sound quieter and producing a muffled effect that can cross the line into being impossible to understand. 

Accommodating Hearing Loss with Mask

If you find yourself interacting with someone with hearing loss or impairment while wearing a mask, there are steps you can take to make it easier to communicate. First of all, masks are available with a clear plastic panel in the front, making it possible to see mouth movement during speech. Particularly if you interact regularly with a person who has hearing loss, you can consider using this type of mask. 

Other accommodation strategies include standing as close as is safe, given the context of social distancing, and speaking in the direction of the listener rather than looking away. In some cases, you can offer to step outside where masks are not necessary or to write down an important message. 

Taking time and remaining responsive to the person’s needs are the best ways to find an accommodation strategy that is suited to the individual. Keep in mind that you may be interacting with a person who has hearing loss but who is not disclosing it to you, so these accommodation strategies are always useful. 

Beyond these temporary attempts, the only durable solution for hearing loss is to pursue treatment with a hearing health professional. Diagnosis through a hearing test and the use of hearing aids, when necessary, will extend their benefits beyond this current era in which we are wearing masks that make it particularly difficult to communicate. You can carry these aids into the future when we are unmasked once again and continue to enjoy the benefits of clear communication. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!