It’s a common first reaction – denial. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s not old enough for a hearing aid.
Maybe, it’s become a joke between both of you. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. You joke about it like it’s just a game. But this game is getting old fast. You wonder if she’s just disregarding you or if she might actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, energetic, and happy life for many years so it’s probably time to be supportive and help them find the appropriate help.
Here are 4 prevalent indications that someone you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She appears to be exhausted, especially in public
Maybe you believe that it just ordinarily happens when you age. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. You try to understand when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
You really start to think that something isn’t right when she begins missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Your loved one’s energy seems to be drained by loud environments. This is especially true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one conversation going on, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Additional energy is needed to hear and comprehend what people are saying when somebody is dealing with hearing problems. Consequently, energy is taken from other important brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and talking.
This use of additional energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. In social settings, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you’re not going through the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. It may be a mix of things. In order to get to the root of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing exam.
2. She always turns the TV up really loud
Often, you will notice this symptom first. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
Your living room sounds like a cinema. 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 inform her it’s too loud. But actually, she turned closed captions on.
Maybe she’s ashamed about it. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing assessment if this is a regular thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or movie theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it may be nothing. But you should be mindful if this is happening often.
Furthermore, if she’s straining to hear phone calls you should pay attention.
Is she constantly annoyed because she thinks people are talking too quietly or muttering? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the advantages of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a tension in the relationship
Researchers have found that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have around 50% more arguments. They might argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When somebody can’t hear, there will be much more tension in a household. Their hearing loss is stressful. And their refusal to seek out help is frustrating to others. This frequently results in people deciding to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
This can lead to irreversible damage to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even realize that hearing loss is the cause. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
Whether it’s a friend, sibling, or spouse, you can get new perspective on your relationships by getting a simple hearing test. Inspire your loved one to call for an appointment.
People who discover they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. In fact, they regret they waited so long to get them in the first place. They feel happier, healthier, and more energetic.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But the challenge of this discussion is worth it when your loved one finally finds the assistance they need.
Call us today and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!