Denial is a typical first response. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s too young to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the two of you have started to joke around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. You laugh about it as if it’s just a game. But it’s beginning to become less and less funny. You question whether she’s simply ignoring you or if she might actually be having some legit hearing trouble.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, active, and joyful life for years to come so it’s probably time to be supportive and help them seek out the appropriate help.
Here are 4 common signs that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more tired than usual particularly when you go out
Perhaps you believe that it just ordinarily occurs when you age. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. You try to understand when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
Then she begins missing meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always loved, even when they meet virtually, and you start to realize something may be wrong. Your loved one’s energy seems to be drained by loud environments. If there is lots of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening simultaneously, this is particularly true.
Individuals who are straining to hear put excessive energy toward comprehending people around them. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions such as memory, speaking, and moving.
Using this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just makes it tired. Your loved one will often seem to shut down with exhaustion in social situations.
If you aren’t personally experiencing the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s going through. Her feelings may be the result of numerous factors. In order to get to the root of the issue, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing exam.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
Often, you will identify this symptom first. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they turn it up really loud.
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.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she might laugh and turn it down. Then you realize that she just turned on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. It’s probably time for you to suggest a hearing exam if this is a frequent thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it might be nothing. If it’s happening more often than that, be aware.
Furthermore, if she’s straining to hear phone calls you should take note.
Is she complaining about people muttering or talking low constantly? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the advantages of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a tension in the relationship
Couples argue two times as much when one of them has hearing loss, according to research. These quarrels may center around TV volume, misconceptions, or what one says the other person may or may not have said.
In general, there’s just more stress in a household when someone can’t hear. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to get help is stressful to others. This often results in people choosing to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
This can lead to permanent damage to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even realize 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, sister, or dear friend. Inspire your loved one to call for an appointment.
Individuals who realize they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. Usually, they wish they would have done it sooner. They feel healthier, happier, and more energetic.
It’s not an easy conversation to have. But when your loved one finally finds the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Call us today and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!