It’s a common first reaction – denial. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s too young to require a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the two of you have started to joke around with each other about it. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. You laugh about it as if it’s just a game. But it’s beginning to become less and less humorous. You question whether she’s simply disregarding you or if she may actually be having some legit hearing trouble.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and joyful life for many years so it’s likely time to be encouraging and help them seek out the appropriate help.
If somebody you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be exhibiting these 4 common signs.
1. She’s more tired than normal especially when you go out
You might believe it’s just a sign of aging. Your loved one really doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. You try to understand when she says that she’s not going out tonight.
Then she begins skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always loved, even when they meet virtually, and you start to recognize something may be wrong. Your loved one’s energy seems to be exhausted by loud settings. If there is lots of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening simultaneously, this is particularly true.
Additional energy is needed to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing problems. As a result, energy is transferred from other important brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and speaking.
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.
Don’t presume you know what she’s experiencing. Her feelings may be due to numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the base cause and suggest that she get a hearing test.
2. She watches the TV LOUD
Frequently, you will notice this symptom first. They can’t seem to watch TV or play music at a healthy volume.
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 outside.
She might turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. Then you realize that she just switched on the captions.
Perhaps she’s ashamed about it. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing test if this is a regular thing.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
It might not be an issue if you are in a really loud environment or she’s really zoned in on something. If it’s happening more frequently than that, pay attention.
Likewise, take notice if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she complaining about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Does she frequently need people to repeat what they said? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a tension in the relationship
Researchers have discovered that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have around 50% more quarrels. 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 tension in a household when somebody can’t hear. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to get help is frustrating to others. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
Many couples don’t realize that hearing loss is the trigger, and this can harm their relationship irreparably. It’s important to get the proper help because even moderate hearing loss can strain relationships.
The simple act of getting a hearing test 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.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can change their lives and most will state they would never go back. In fact, they regret they waited so long to get them in the first place. Their general quality of life will be greatly improved.
It’s not an easy discussion to have. But the difficulty of this discussion is worth it when your loved one finally gets 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!