Denial is a typical first reaction. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as bad as it seems. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Perhaps, it’s become a joke between the two of you. Your loved one always asks you to repeat yourself. 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.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one receives the care they need to continue to live a happy, healthy, active lifestyle well into their older age.
If somebody you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be showing these 4 common symptoms.
1. She’s more drained than usual especially when you go out
Maybe you think that it just ordinarily occurs when you age. Your loved one really doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. When she says she isn’t feeling like going out tonight, you try to be patient.
You really start to think that something isn’t right when she starts skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Your loved one’s energy seems to be drained by loud environments. If there is a lot of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening simultaneously, this is particularly true.
Extra energy is needed to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing issues. As a result, energy is transferred from other important brain functions like physical movement, memory, and speaking.
Utilizing this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just tires it out. In social settings, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you aren’t personally experiencing the same thing, don’t assume 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 gets her hearing tested.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
This is often one of the first signs that you might notice in another person. Whenever they play music or watch TV, they crank it up very loud.
Your living room sounds like a cinema. 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.
She might turn it down when you inform her it’s too loud. But actually, she turned on closed captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she actually can’t hear the TV. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing assessment if this is a frequent 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 zoned in on something. But you should be mindful if this is happening frequently.
Also, if she’s struggling to hear phone calls you should pay attention.
Is she constantly annoyed because she thinks people are speaking too quietly or muttering? Is she asking people to repeat themselves? If so, it’s time to have that loving conversation about how much more enjoyable life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling strained
Couples argue twice as much when one of them has hearing loss, according to research. They may argue about what one of them may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
Overall, there’s just more stress in a household when someone can’t hear. Their hearing loss is frustrating. And their refusal to seek out help is frustrating to others. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart or alone.
This can lead to permanent damage 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.
Whether it’s a friend, sibling, or partner, you can get new perspective on your relationships by simply getting a hearing test. Inspire your loved one to schedule an appointment.
Individuals who discover they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. As a matter of fact, they regret they didn’t get them sooner. Their general quality of life will be significantly enhanced.
It’s not a comfortable talk to have. But the difficulty of this discussion is worth it when your loved one finally gets the assistance they need.
Call us right away and let us help you with some ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss!
