It’s a normal first response – denial. 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 the two of you. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. It’s only a game. You joke about it. But this game is getting old fast. 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 balanced, active, and happy life for years to come so it’s likely time to be encouraging and help them find the appropriate help.
Here are 4 common signs that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She appears to be exhausted, particularly in public
Perhaps you believe that it just normally occurs when you get older. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to be patient.
You really begin to suspect that something isn’t right when she begins missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Your loved one’s energy seems to be depleted by loud environments. If there is lots of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening simultaneously, this is especially true.
Individuals who are straining to hear put excessive energy toward understanding those around them. They frequently have to pull this energy from other functions in the brain like memory, talking, and moving.
Utilizing this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just makes it tired. In social situations, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you aren’t going through the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s going through. It could be a mix of things. In order to get to the root of the issue, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing test.
2. She always turns the TV up really loud
Often, you will identify this symptom first. They can’t seem to watch TV or play music at a normal volume.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a theater. You instantly 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 makes you cringe. You can even hear it from outside.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she might laugh and lower the volume. Then you notice that she just turned on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. It’s likely time for you to recommend a hearing test if this is a frequent thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or movie theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it may be nothing. If it’s happening more often than that, be aware.
Likewise, pay attention if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she griping about people muttering or low-talking constantly? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? If so, it’s time to have that loving discussion about how much better life is with 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 arguments. They might 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 someone can’t hear. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. Others get frustrated when they won’t get help. This often results in people deciding to spend more time apart because of more hurt feelings.
This can cause permanent harm to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even recognize 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 test 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 their hearing assessed.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will state they would never go back. As a matter of fact, they regret they didn’t get them sooner. Their overall quality of life will be greatly enhanced.
It’s not a comfortable conversation to have. But the difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally finds the help they need.
Need more useful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!