Denial is a typical first response. My loved one must be simply making it seem like their hearing loss is worse than it actually is. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, it’s become a joke between the two of you. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. It’s only a game. You laugh about it. But this game is getting old quickly. You’re beginning to believe that perhaps your spouse, sibling, or parent is either ignoring you or really having difficulty hearing.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, active, and happy life for years to come so it’s probably time to be encouraging and help them find the correct help.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be exhibiting these 4 prevalent symptoms.
1. She seems exhausted, especially in public
You might think it’s simply an indication of getting older. Your loved one used to have a lot more energy. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to understand.
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 could be wrong. Loud noise seems to sap your loved one’s energy. This is particularly true if they are in a situation where there is more than one discussion happening, or there’s lots of background noise.
Additional energy is required to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is coping with hearing problems. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions such as memory, talking, and moving.
Using this additional brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just makes it tired. Your loved one will frequently seem to shut down with exhaustion in social settings.
If you aren’t going through the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. It may be a combination of things. In order to get to the root of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing test.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
Often, you will notice this symptom first. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a movie theater. You suddenly get the impulse to make some popcorn, except you find that she’s just watching a reality show or documentary at a volume that almost blows your ears out. Your neighbors can even hear it.
She might turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. Then you realize that she just switched on the captions.
She might not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. If this is happening a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing assessment.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it might be nothing. If it’s happening more frequently than that, be aware.
Likewise, take notice if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she always annoyed because she thinks people are speaking too low or mumbling? 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. You’re feeling a tension in the relationship
Researchers have revealed that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have around 50% more quarrels. They may argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misunderstandings.
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 seek out help is frustrating to others. This often results in people choosing to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
This can lead to irreversible damage to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even recognize that hearing loss is the reason. It’s important to get the proper help because even moderate hearing loss can strain relationships.
Whether it’s a friend, sibling, or spouse, you can get new perspective on your relationships by getting a simple hearing test. Speak with your loved one about getting their hearing assessed.
If somebody 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. Their overall quality of life will be significantly enhanced.
It’s not 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 today and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!
