Denial is a typical first reaction. My loved one must be simply making it seem like their hearing loss is more severe than it actually is. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the two of you have begun to joke around with each other about it. Your loved one always asks you to speak up. You joke about it like it’s simply a game. But this game is getting old fast. You’re starting to think that perhaps your partner, sibling, or parent is either dismissing you or actually having trouble hearing.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and joyful life for years to come so it’s likely time to be supportive and help them find the correct help.
Here are 4 common signs that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more tired than normal particularly when you go out
You might believe it’s simply an indication of getting older. Your loved one used to have much more energy. You try to understand when she says that she’s not going out tonight.
You really begin to suspect that something isn’t right when she starts skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Your loved one’s energy seems to be drained by loud environments. This is particularly true if they are in a situation where there’s more than one conversation going on, or there’s a lot 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 functions in the brain such as memory, talking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. In social situations, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
If you aren’t personally experiencing the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s going through. It could be a combination of things. But ask questions. Get to the underlying cause and recommend that she get a hearing test.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
Frequently, you will notice this symptom first. They can’t seem to watch TV or play music at a healthy volume.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You suddenly get the urge to make some popcorn, except you realize 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 may laugh and lower the volume. Then you notice that she just turned on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she actually can’t hear the TV. If this is occurring a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing assessment.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
It might not be an issue if you are in a really loud setting or she’s really focused on something. If it’s occurring more frequently than that, be aware.
Similarly, take notice if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she complaining about people muttering or talking low constantly? Is she asking people to repeat themselves? If so, it’s time to have that loving discussion about how much more enjoyable life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling strained
Couples argue two times as much when one of them is dealing with hearing loss, according to research. These quarrels may be about TV volume, misconceptions, or what one says the other person may or may not have said.
Overall, there’s just more tension in a household when somebody can’t hear. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to seek out help is stressful to others. This frequently results in people choosing to spend more time alone due to more hurt feelings.
This can lead to permanent damage to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even realize that hearing loss is the cause. It’s important to get the proper help because even moderate hearing loss can strain relationships.
Simply getting a hearing exam can give you a completely new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Inspire your loved one to schedule an appointment.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will state they would never go back. In fact, they regret they didn’t get them sooner. Their general quality of life will be greatly enhanced.
It’s not a comfortable talk 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 address your loved one’s hearing loss!
