We will all come into contact with people from various backgrounds throughout our lives, and it's important that we treat them as we'd want to be treated, no matter how different from us they might be. Respect and kindness go a long way, but sometimes we can say or do the wrong thing without realising it.

One deaf man has said there's a big mistake people often make when talking to someone who wears hearing aids, and it can make conversations difficult to understand for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Jack Holland explained that there's actually something everyone should try and do when talking to someone hard of hearing that can make conversations far less frustrating for both parties.

In a video on TikTok, Jack said that the main thing to understand is that hearing aids make noises louder, but they don't make them clearer. This means that you need to enunciate your words properly and make sure you're not skipping over letters or blending words into one another - and you should avoid raising your voice.

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He said: "Hearing aids make noise louder, they don't make it clearer. I was born hearing, then I was hard of hearing, then partially deaf, then moderately deaf, then profoundly deaf, then completely deaf. I've had grommets, hearing aids, and cochlear implants. Believe me, I know the difference.

"People with hearing aids can hear sound, they just can't tell what that sound is. To give you an example, when I was losing my hearing, I lost all the high-pitched frequencies first. Like the consonants P, C, D, K. But I could hear low-pitched frequencies like the vowels O and U."

Jack told people to "stop shouting at your grandparents" when they ask you to repeat yourself, as it's "rude and doesn't help" them get a better understanding of what it is that you're saying.

Instead, you need to try and make sure that what you're saying is as clear as it can be, with every sound distinguished from one another so that the person you're talking to has the best chance of hearing you properly.

He added: "Sound they can hear, but the sound isn't clear. Raise awareness, not your voice."

Commenters on the video were thankful for Jack's advice, as they said hearing is often something they take for granted, and they had no idea what the process of losing their hearing is like.

One person said: "I've never seen hearing loss be explained so well before. This should be more common knowledge."

Another added: "This is like when phone reception is bad, and people raise their voices. What you need to do is speak calmly and enunciate every word."

A third posted: "Oh my God, showing this to my family! This is spot on. I'm losing my hearing, starting with the high frequencies, too, and no one gets it."

Others asked for further advice on how to properly speak to someone with hearing aids, and they were told that the best thing you can do is slow down your speech and make sure you don't mumble. They were told not to slow down their speech too much, but just to ensure they aren't rambling and that their volume doesn't drop off at the end of a word or sentence.

It's not always easy to tell if you're losing your hearing, as it can be gradual and can build up over time. However, common signs of hearing loss include:

• Difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places


• Needing to ask people to repeat themselves


• Listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need


• Difficulty hearing on the phone


• Finding it hard to keep up with a conversation


• Feeling tired or stressed from having to concentrate while listening

The NHS states you should see a GP if you think your hearing is getting gradually worse, or you've had treatment for an ear infection or earwax build-up but your hearing hasn't come back.

You should get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if you have sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, your hearing has been getting worse over a few days or weeks, or you have hearing loss with other symptoms such as an earache or discharge coming from the ear.

For more information on hearing loss, visit the NHS website.