Tiredness can have a wide variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory problems such as sleep apnea. But many people are surprised to learn that chronic fatigue and exhaustion can also be a result of something relatively common: hearing loss.

To some extent, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You may find yourself continuously exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. This exhaustion can often turn into irritability which could cause you to socially seclude yourself. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will frequently boost your energy levels, reducing tiredness and exhaustion.

Hearing loss moves gradually (and your brain compensates)

For most people, hearing loss is a very gradually-progressing condition that grows worse over time. In its early phases, you likely won’t even detect that you’re developing hearing loss. Even common symptoms, like cranking up the volume on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not looking for them.

Exhaustion is one of the most obvious symptoms of hearing loss. In spite of how much sleep you get, you could still feel fatigued. Unfortunately, many individuals don’t intuitively connect this symptom with hearing loss.

That’s because the cause happens in your brain. When your ears aren’t receiving as much information, your brain works harder to comprehend it all. In the same way as sustained periods of intense concentration can leave you tired, the additional brain power needed to hear what people are saying can be exhausting. Your ability to complete daily tasks and your overall quality of life can be significantly impacted over time as your neglected hearing loss gets worse.

The role of stigma

So when individuals begin to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they just consult a hearing specialist? One partial reason is that people just don’t connect fatigue with hearing loss. But the notion of stigma is another cause which can be even more damaging. There’s a feeling that hearing loss is terrible or ruins your life or that there’s nothing that can be done about it. People will often avoid pursuing treatment because of these mistaken notions.

However, as more individuals are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has begun to fade. It’s becoming a more common understanding that hearing loss can happen to individuals of all ages and modern hearing aids are discreet enough that the few people who can’t get over this stigma won’t even notice them.

Regrettably, this perception of social stigma can cause people in the early stages of hearing loss to put off on getting the treatment they need resulting in more severe permanent hearing loss.

Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue

There are often no apparent symptoms of early stage hearing loss. That’s why hearing specialists favor taking a preventative strategy rather than the far more challenging and less effective reactive approach. For instance, scheduling regular screenings with a hearing specialist before you notice symptoms can help establish a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Once this baseline is established, early intervention is frequently a lot more effective.

You can minimize hearing loss related exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. Here are several of the most prevalent and easiest steps:

If you have hearing aids, wear them as frequently as possible: One of the chief functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations much easier. This means you won’t be as tired because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
Give yourself a rest in between conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and refresh in between conversations. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make everyday communication a bit more sustainable.
See a hearing specialist: It’s important to keep tabs on your hearing health. Visiting a hearing specialist can help you detect hearing loss in its early stages when it’s less of a problem and your brain doesn’t need to work as hard to compensate.
Try to locate more quiet, isolated areas for conversations: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be difficult to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some cases. Moving conversations to an area with less background noise can make it easier for your brain to focus on the voice you’re attempting to hear, lessening fatigue in the process.

So if you’re dealing with an unusual amount of exhaustion and tiredness, with no evident cause, it may be time to plan a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you reduce your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re concerned about the stigma.