Denial is a typical first reaction. My loved one must be just making it seem as if their hearing loss is more severe than it really is. She’s too young 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. You laugh about it like it’s simply a game. But this game is getting old quickly. You’re beginning to believe that maybe your partner, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or actually having trouble hearing.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one receives the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active life well into their senior years.
Here are 4 prevalent signs that someone you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She seems fatigued, particularly in public
You might think it’s just a sign of getting older. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. When she says she isn’t feeling like going out tonight, you try to understand.
Then she starts skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always loved, even when they get together 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 especially true.
Additional energy is needed to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing issues. They often have to pull this energy from other brain functions such as memory, speaking, and moving.
Utilizing this additional brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just makes it tired. In social settings, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you aren’t personally experiencing the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s going through. Her feelings might be attributable to a number of factors. In order to get to the root of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing assessment.
2. She watches the TV LOUD
This is frequently one of the first signs that you may perceive in another person. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they crank it up very loud.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You feel like you should make some popcorn, but it’s just your loved one blowing your ears out with the TV. Your neighbors are even able to hear it.
She may 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. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing assessment if this is a frequent thing.
3. She often needs people to repeat what they said
It may not be a problem if you are in a very loud environment or she’s really zoned in on something. But you should pay closer attention if this is occurring frequently.
Likewise, pay attention if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she complaining about people mumbling or low-talking constantly? Does she frequently need people to repeat what they said? If so, it’s time to have that loving chat about how much more enjoyable life is with hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a rift in the relationship
Researchers have found that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have around 50% more arguments. They may argue about what one of them may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When somebody can’t hear, there will be a lot more stress in a household. Their hearing loss is frustrating. Others get frustrated when they won’t go in for help. This frequently leads to people deciding to spend more time apart because of more hurt feelings.
This can lead to permanent harm to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even comprehend 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 simply getting a hearing test. Speak with your loved one about getting their hearing assessed.
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 overall quality of life will be greatly enhanced.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But when your loved one finally gets the help they require it will all have been worth it.
Call us right away and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!