It’s a normal first response – denial. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as bad as it seems. She’s not old enough for a hearing aid.
Perhaps, it’s become a joke between the two of you. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. It’s only a game. You laugh about it. But it’s starting to become less and less funny. You question whether she’s simply disregarding you or if she might actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one gets the care they need to continue to live a happy, healthy, active life even into their senior years.
Here are 4 prevalent signals that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She appears to be fatigued, particularly in public
You may think it’s just a sign of getting older. Your loved one really doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. You try to relate when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
You really start to suspect that something isn’t right when she begins skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Loud noise seems to deplete your loved one’s energy. If there is lots of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening at the same time, this is particularly true.
Additional energy is required to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is dealing with hearing issues. As a result, energy is transferred from other essential brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and talking.
Using this additional brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just tires it out. Your loved one will frequently seem to shut down with exhaustion in social settings.
Don’t presume you understand what she’s dealing with. Her feelings may be the result of numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the underlying cause and suggest that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She watches the TV LOUD
This is frequently one of the first indications that you may notice in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into 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 can even hear it.
She may turn it down when you inform her it’s too loud. But actually, she turned on closed captions.
She might not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. If this is happening a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing assessment.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
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 be mindful if this is happening frequently.
Likewise, take notice if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she griping about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? If so, it’s time to have that loving chat about how much more enjoyable life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
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 may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
In general, there’s just more stress in a household when someone can’t hear. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. Others get frustrated when they won’t go in for help. This brings about lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
This can cause irreversible harm to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even realize 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 getting a simple hearing test. Talk to your loved one about getting a hearing test.
People who realize they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. Typically, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. They feel happier, healthier, and more active.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But when your loved one finally gets the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Call us today and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!
