Denial is a common 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.
Perhaps, it’s become a joke between both of you. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. You laugh about it as if it’s simply a game. But this game is getting old quickly. You question whether she’s just disregarding you or if she might actually be having some legit hearing trouble.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, energetic, and joyful life for many years so it’s probably time to be supportive and help them find the correct help.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will probably be exhibiting these 4 prevalent signs.
1. She’s more tired than normal especially when you go out
You might think it’s just a sign of aging. Your loved one used to have much more energy. You try to understand when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
You really start to suspect that something isn’t right when she begins missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Your loved one’s energy seems to be depleted by loud settings. This is particularly true if they are in a situation where there’s more than one conversation going on, or there’s lots of background noise.
Extra energy is needed to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is coping with hearing problems. They frequently have to pull this energy from other functions in the brain like memory, talking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. Your loved one will often seem to shut down with exhaustion in social settings.
Don’t assume you understand what she’s dealing with. Her feelings may be due to a number of factors. In order to get to the bottom of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing exam.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
This is often one of the first signs that you may perceive in another person. Whenever they play music or watch TV, they crank it up really loud.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a movie theater. You suddenly get the urge to make some popcorn, except you realize 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.
When you suggest that the TV is too loud, she might laugh and turn it down. But it turns out, she turned on closed captions.
Maybe she’s embarrassed about it. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing assessment if this is a regular thing.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or movie theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it might be nothing. But you should be mindful if this is occurring frequently.
Furthermore, if she’s straining to hear phone calls you should pay attention.
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
Couples argue twice as much when one of them has hearing loss, according to research. These arguments may center around TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one claims the other person did or didn’t say.
When someone can’t hear, there will be much more stress in a household. Their hearing loss is stressful. And their refusal to seek out help is stressful to others. This brings about lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
Many couples don’t realize that hearing loss is the cause, and this can harm their relationship irreparably. 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. Speak with your loved one about getting their hearing assessed.
If somebody has hearing loss, hearing aids can change their lives and most will state they would never go back. Typically, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their general quality of life will be greatly improved.
It isn’t a comfortable talk to have. But the challenge of this discussion 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!