It’s a common first reaction – denial. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as bad as it seems. She’s too young to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the both of you have begun to joke around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. It’s just a game. You laugh about it. But this game is getting old fast. You’re beginning to think that maybe your spouse, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or really having trouble hearing.
It’s time to be supportive and make certain your loved one gets the care they need to continue to live a happy, healthy, active life well into their senior years.
If somebody you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be exhibiting these 4 common signs.
1. She seems exhausted, particularly in public
You may think it’s simply an indication of aging. Your loved one used to have a lot more energy. When she says she isn’t feeling like going out tonight, you try to understand.
Then she begins skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they get together virtually, and you begin to recognize something could be wrong. Your loved one’s energy seems to be exhausted by loud environments. This is particularly true if they are in a situation where there is more than one conversation going on, or there’s a lot of background noise.
People who are struggling to hear put excess energy toward understanding people around them. Consequently, energy is transferred from other important brain functions like physical movement, memory, and talking.
Utilizing this additional brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just makes it tired. Your loved one will often seem to shut down with fatigue in social situations.
If you’re not personally experiencing the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. It could be a combination of things. But ask questions. Get to the base cause and suggest that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She always cranks the TV up too loud
Often, you will identify this symptom first. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they crank it up very loud.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You feel like you should make some popcorn, but it’s just your loved one blowing your ears out with the TV. You can even hear it from outdoors.
When you suggest that the TV is too loud, she may laugh and turn it down. Then you realize that she just turned on the captions.
Maybe she’s embarrassed about it. If this is occurring a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing test.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or movie theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it might be nothing. But you should be mindful if this is happening often.
Likewise, pay attention if she seems to have a lot of trouble hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she complaining about people muttering or talking low constantly? Does she frequently need people to repeat what they said? It’s time for a compassionate talk about the advantages of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a rift in the relationship
Researchers have revealed that couples, where one has hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. These quarrels may center around TV volume, misconceptions, or what one says the other person did or didn’t say.
When someone isn’t able to hear, there will be much more stress in a household. Their hearing loss is stressful. Others get frustrated when they won’t go in for help. This frequently results in people deciding to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
This can lead to permanent harm to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even comprehend that hearing loss is the reason. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
The simple act of getting a hearing exam can give you a totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re dealing with a spouse, sibling, or dear friend. Encourage your loved one to schedule an appointment.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will say they would never go back. Normally, they wish they would have done it sooner. They feel happier, healthier, and more active.
It isn’t a comfortable talk to have. But when your loved one finally gets the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Call us right away and let us help you with some ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss!
