It’s a normal first response – denial. My loved one must be simply making it seem as if their hearing loss is more severe than it really is. She’s too young to require a hearing aid.
Perhaps, it’s become a joke between the two of you. Your loved one always asks you to speak up. You laugh about it like it’s just a game. But this game is getting old fast. You wonder if she’s simply disregarding you or if she might actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, energetic, and joyful life for years to come so it’s probably time to be encouraging and help them find the appropriate help.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will probably be showing these 4 prevalent symptoms.
1. She’s more tired than usual especially when you go out
Perhaps you think that it just normally happens when you age. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. You try to relate when she says that she’s not going out tonight.
Then she starts skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they meet virtually, and you start to realize something may be wrong. Loud noise seems to drain your loved one’s energy. This is especially true if they’re in a situation where there’s more than one conversation going on, or there’s lots of background noise.
Additional energy is required to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing issues. They frequently have to pull this energy from other brain functions such as memory, talking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. In social situations, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t assume you understand what she’s dealing with. Her feelings may be due to numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the root cause and recommend that she get a hearing test.
2. She always turns the TV up really loud
This is often one of the first indications that you might perceive in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You suddenly 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 blows your ears out. You can even hear it from outside.
She might turn it down when you inform her it’s too loud. But actually, she turned on closed captions.
She may not want to admit that she really can’t hear the TV. It’s likely time for you to recommend a hearing exam if this is a regular thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it might be nothing. But you should pay closer attention if this is happening often.
Likewise, pay attention if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she always aggravated because she thinks people are talking too low or muttering? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? If so, it’s time to have that loving conversation 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 has hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. These quarrels may be about TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one says the other person did or didn’t say.
When somebody can’t hear, there will be a lot more stress in a household. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to seek out help is frustrating to others. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
Many couples don’t realize that hearing loss is the trigger, and this can harm their relationship irreparably. It’s important to get the proper help because even moderate hearing loss can strain relationships.
Simply 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.
Individuals who discover they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. Usually, they wish they would have done it sooner. Their general quality of life will be significantly enhanced.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But the difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally gets the assistance they need.
Call us today and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!