Denial is a common first response. Of course, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as bad as it seems. She’s too young to require a hearing aid.
Maybe, it’s become a joke between both of you. Your loved one always asks you to repeat yourself. You joke about it as if it’s just a game. But it’s beginning to become less and less funny. You question whether she’s simply ignoring you or if she may actually be having some legit hearing trouble.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one gets the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active lifestyle well into their senior years.
Here are 4 common signals that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She appears to be fatigued, especially in public
Maybe you think that it just normally occurs when you get older. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to be patient.
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 sap your loved one’s energy. This is particularly true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one conversation happening, or there’s lots of background noise.
Individuals who are struggling to hear put excessive energy toward understanding people around them. As a result, energy is transferred from other important brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and speaking.
This use of additional energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. In social situations, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you’re not going through the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. Her feelings might be the result of numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the base 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. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they crank it up really loud.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into a movie theater. You instantly get the urge 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 can even hear it.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she might chuckle and turn it down. Then you notice that she just switched on the captions.
She might not want to acknowledge that she actually can’t hear the TV. It’s likely time for you to recommend a hearing assessment if this is a regular thing.
3. She often needs people to repeat what they said
It might not be a problem if you are in a very loud environment or she’s really zoned in on something. If it’s happening more often than that, be aware.
Likewise, pay attention 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 conversation about how much better life is with hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a rift in the relationship
Researchers have discovered that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. They might argue about what one of them may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When someone can’t hear, there will be a lot more tension 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 damage their relationship irreparably. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
Whether it’s a friend, sibling, or spouse, you can get new perspective on your relationships by getting a simple hearing test. Speak with your loved one about getting their hearing assessed.
Individuals who recognize they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. As a matter of fact, they regret they waited so long to get them in the first place. Their general quality of life will be significantly improved.
It isn’t a comfortable conversation to have. But the difficulty of this discussion 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 address your loved one’s hearing loss!
