Denial is a typical first reaction. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the two of you have begun to joke around with each other about it. Your loved one always asks you to repeat yourself. It’s only a game. You laugh about it. But this game is getting old quickly. You’re starting to think that maybe your spouse, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or really having difficulty hearing.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and joyful life for many years so it’s probably time to be encouraging and help them find the appropriate help.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will probably be exhibiting these 4 common signs.
1. She appears to be fatigued, especially in public
Maybe you believe that it just ordinarily occurs when you get older. Your loved one used to have a lot more energy. You try to understand when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
Then she starts missing meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they get together virtually, and you begin to realize something may be wrong. Loud noise seems to deplete your loved one’s energy. If there is a lot of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening simultaneously, this is especially true.
People who are struggling to hear put excess energy toward comprehending those around them. They frequently have to pull this energy from other functions in the brain such as memory, speaking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. Your loved one will frequently seem to shut down with exhaustion in social situations.
If you’re not personally experiencing the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s going through. It could be a mix of things. But ask questions. Get to the base cause and recommend that she get a hearing test.
2. She always turns the TV up too loud
Often, you will notice this symptom first. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they turn it up really loud.
You walk into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a theater. You suddenly get the urge to make some popcorn, except you find that she’s just watching a reality show or documentary at a volume that almost makes you cringe. You can even hear it from outdoors.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she may laugh and lower the volume. Then you notice that she just switched on the captions.
Maybe she’s embarrassed about it. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing exam if this is a regular thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
It might not be a problem if you are in a very loud environment or she’s really focused on something. But you should pay closer attention if this is happening often.
Similarly, pay attention if she seems to have a lot of trouble hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she griping about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? If so, it’s time to have that loving chat about how much better life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling strained
Researchers have discovered that couples, where one has hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. They may argue about what one of them may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misunderstandings.
When someone isn’t able to hear, there will be much more stress in a household. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. Others get frustrated when they won’t go in for help. This often results in people choosing to spend more time alone due to more hurt feelings.
This can lead to irreversible harm to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even recognize that hearing loss is the reason. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
Simply getting a hearing exam can give you a totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re dealing with a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Talk to your loved one about getting their hearing assessed.
Individuals who discover they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. As a matter of fact, they regret they waited so long to get them in the first place. Their general quality of life will be significantly improved.
It isn’t a comfortable talk to have. But when your loved one finally finds the help they require it will all have been worth it.
Call us right away and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!
