It’s a common first reaction – denial. Of course, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as bad as it seems. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the two of you have started to joke around with one another about it. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. It’s only a game. You joke about it. But it’s starting to become less and less humorous. You’re starting to think that perhaps your partner, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or really having difficulty hearing.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, energetic, and joyful life for many years so it’s likely time to be encouraging and help them seek out the correct help.
Here are 4 common signals that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She appears to be exhausted, particularly in public
You may think it’s just a sign of aging. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to understand.
Then she begins skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always loved, even when they get together virtually, and you start to realize something may be wrong. Loud noise seems to sap your loved one’s energy. If there is lots of background noise, or if more than one conversation is taking place simultaneously, this is especially true.
Additional energy is required to hear and comprehend what people are saying when somebody is coping with hearing problems. Consequently, energy is transferred from other essential brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and speaking.
Utilizing this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just tires it out. In social settings, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you aren’t personally experiencing the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. Her feelings may be due to a number of factors. But ask questions. Get to the underlying cause and suggest that she get a hearing test.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
This is often one of the first indications that you might identify in another person. Whenever they play music or watch TV, they turn it up very loud.
You walk into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into a theater. You feel like you should have some popcorn, but it’s just your loved one blowing your ears out with the TV. You can even hear it from outdoors.
She may turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. Then you notice that she just switched on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. If this is happening a lot, it might be time for you to recommend a hearing test.
3. She often needs people to repeat what they said
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it may be nothing. But you should pay closer attention if this is happening frequently.
Furthermore, if she’s struggling to hear phone calls you should take note.
Is she always frustrated because she thinks people are speaking too quietly or mumbling? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Researchers have found that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have around 50% more arguments. These quarrels may be about TV volume, misconceptions, or what one claims the other person may or may not have said.
Overall, there’s just more stress in a household when somebody can’t hear. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. Others get upset when they won’t go in for help. This frequently results in people deciding to spend more time apart due to more hurt feelings.
This can cause permanent damage to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even recognize that hearing loss is the cause. It’s important to get the proper help because even moderate hearing loss can strain relationships.
The simple act of getting a hearing exam can give you a totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sibling, or dear friend. Speak with your loved one about getting their hearing assessed.
If somebody has hearing loss, hearing aids can change their lives and most will state they would never go back. Usually, they wish they would have done it sooner. Their general quality of life will be greatly improved.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But when your loved one finally gets the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Need more useful ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us right away!