Denial is a common first response. My loved one must be just making it seem like their hearing loss is more severe than it really is. She’s not old enough for a hearing aid.
Maybe, it’s become a joke between both of you. She is always asking you to repeat what you said. It’s just a game. You joke about it. But this game is getting old quickly. You question whether she’s simply disregarding you or if she may actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and happy life for years to come so it’s likely time to be supportive and help them seek out the correct help.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be exhibiting these 4 common symptoms.
1. She’s more drained than usual particularly when you go out
Perhaps you think that it just ordinarily occurs when you get older. Your loved one really doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. You try to understand when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
Then she starts skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always loved, even when they meet virtually, and you begin to recognize something could be wrong. Loud noise seems to drain your loved one’s energy. If there is a lot of background noise, or if more than one conversation is taking place at the same time, this is particularly true.
Additional energy is required to hear and understand what people are saying when somebody is coping with hearing problems. As a result, energy is transferred from other important brain functions like physical movement, memory, and talking.
This use of additional energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. In social situations, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t assume you understand what she’s experiencing. Her feelings might be attributable to a number of factors. But ask questions. Get to the underlying cause and recommend that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She always cranks the TV up too loud
This is often one of the first indications that you may notice in another person. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they turn it up very loud.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You instantly 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 blows your ears out. Your neighbors are even able to hear it.
She might turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. But actually, she turned closed captions on.
She may not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing test if this is a frequent thing.
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 may be nothing. If it’s occurring more often than that, be aware.
Similarly, take notice if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she complaining about people muttering or talking low constantly? Is she asking people to 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 revealed that couples, where one has hearing loss, have about 50% more quarrels. These quarrels may be about TV volume, misunderstandings, 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 frustrating to others. This brings about lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
This can lead to permanent harm to the relationship and the couple frequently 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.
Simply getting a hearing exam can give you a completely new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Speak with your loved one about getting a hearing test.
Individuals who recognize 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 difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally finds the help they need.
Call us right away and let us help you with some ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss!