It’s a common first reaction – denial. My loved one must be simply making it seem like their hearing loss is worse than it really is. She’s too young to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, 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 laugh about it. But it’s beginning to become less and less humorous. You’re beginning to think that maybe your partner, sibling, or parent is either ignoring you or really having difficulty hearing.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, active, and joyful life for years to come so it’s probably 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 symptoms.
1. She’s more drained than normal especially when you go out
You might believe it’s just a sign of aging. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. You try to relate when she says that she’s not going out tonight.
You really begin to suspect that something isn’t right when she starts missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Your loved one’s energy seems to be depleted by loud environments. This is particularly true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one conversation happening, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Additional energy is required to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is coping with hearing problems. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions like memory, speaking, 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 personally experiencing the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. It may be a mix of things. In order to get to the root of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing assessment.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
This is often one of the first indications that you may identify in another person. Whenever they play music or watch TV, they crank it up very loud.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You instantly 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 makes you cringe. Your neighbors are even able to hear it.
She might turn it down when you inform her it’s too loud. Then you realize that she just switched on the captions.
Maybe she’s embarrassed about it. If this is happening a lot, it may be time for you to suggest a hearing test.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
It might not be a problem if you are in a really loud setting or she’s really focused on something. If it’s occurring more often than that, pay attention.
Also, if she’s struggling to hear phone conversations 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 rift in the relationship
Couples argue twice as much when one of them is dealing with hearing loss, according to research. They may argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When somebody isn’t able to hear, there will be much more stress in a household. Their hearing loss is frustrating. And their refusal to seek out help is stressful to others. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
Many couples don’t recognize 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.
The simple act of getting a hearing test can give you a totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sibling, or dear friend. Inspire your loved one to schedule an appointment.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will say they would never go back. Typically, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their general quality of life will be significantly improved.
It can be a difficult talk to have. But the challenge of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally gets the assistance they need.
Need more practical ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!