There are numerous possible causes of fatigue, everything from the inability to sleep at night to respiratory problems like sleep apnea. But many people are surprised to learn that chronic tiredness and exhaustion can also be caused by something fairly common: hearing loss.
In part, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You might not immediately distinguish the symptoms and, as a result, you might feel as if you are constantly tired for no reason. This experience can be really frustrating. In addition, this exhaustion can often lead to irritability and, eventually, social isolation. Luckily, your energy levels will usually improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Hearing loss progresses slowly (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is normally a gradually advancing condition that gets worse over time. In its early stages, you probably won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. Even prevalent symptoms, like turning up the volume on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not looking for them.
Fatigue is one of the most noticeable symptoms of hearing loss. No matter how much rest you get, you could still feel fatigued. This symptom, regrettably, isn’t typically associated with hearing loss.
Because the cause happens in your brain, the symptoms aren’t usually considered an ear problem. Your brain needs to work extra hard to process sound due to the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. In the same way as extended periods of intense concentration can leave you fatigued, the extra brain power required to hear what people are saying can be exhausting. Left untreated, this exhaustion can grow worse over time, affecting your quality of life and your ability to complete daily routine activities.
Stigma plays a role
So when people begin to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they just visit a hearing specialist? One partial reason is that people just don’t associate tiredness 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 you can do about it. All of these things are false, and they prevent many individuals from seeking treatment.
However, this stigma is beginning to disappear as more individuals become open to their hearing loss. It’s becoming a more prevalent 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 see them.
It’s a shame that this social stigma can make it more difficult for individuals to find the care they need because this often results in hearing loss that grows worse over time when it may not have to.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
There are often no apparent symptoms of early phase hearing loss. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive strategy, and it’s why many hearing specialists favor preventative techniques. Hearing specialists recommend regular screenings in order to create a baseline of your healthy hearing, that way they will be capable of identifying changes to your hearing in subsequent screenings. Early treatment will be much more effective after we have determined that baseline.
You can lessen hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. A few of the easiest and most common measures include the following:
- Give yourself a break 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.
- Schedule an assessment with 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 an issue and your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to compensate.
- If you use hearing aids, wear them as often as you can: One of the primary functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations a lot easier. This means your brain won’t have to work as hard and you will not experience the same amount of fatigue.
- Try to have conversations in quieter areas: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be difficult to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some instances. It will be easier, and less exhausting, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter location.
It’s probably time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing fatigue with no evident cause. You can lessen your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be untreated.