Denial is a common first reaction. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the two of you have started to kid around with each other about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to speak up. It’s only a game. You laugh about it. But it’s beginning to become less and less funny. You’re starting to believe that maybe your spouse, brother, or parent is either dismissing you or actually having difficulty hearing.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one gets the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active life even into their senior years.
If somebody you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be showing these 4 prevalent symptoms.
1. She’s more drained than usual especially when you go out
Perhaps you believe that it just normally happens when you age. Your loved one used to have a lot more energy. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to understand.
Then she begins skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they get together virtually, and you start to recognize something could be wrong. Loud noise seems to sap 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 especially true.
People who are straining to hear put excessive energy toward understanding people around them. As a result, energy is taken from other important brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and talking.
Using this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just tires it out. In social settings, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t presume you understand what she’s experiencing. Her feelings might be due to numerous factors. In order to get to the bottom of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing assessment.
2. She watches the TV LOUD
This is frequently one of the first signs that you might perceive in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
Your living room sounds like a cinema. You feel like you should make some popcorn, but it’s just your loved one blowing your ears out with the TV. You can even hear it from outside.
She might turn it down when you inform her it’s too loud. Then you notice that she just switched on the captions.
Perhaps she’s embarrassed about it. If this is happening a lot, it might be time for you to recommend a hearing assessment.
3. She often 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 may be nothing. 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 using the phone.
Is she complaining about people mumbling or low-talking constantly? Does she frequently need people to repeat what they said? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a tension in the relationship
Researchers have revealed that couples, where one has hearing loss, have about 50% more quarrels. They may argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When someone can’t hear, there will be a lot more tension in a household. Their hearing loss is stressful. Others get upset when they won’t get help. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
Many couples don’t recognize that hearing loss is the cause, and this can damage their relationship irreparably. 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 simply getting a hearing test. Talk to your loved one about getting a hearing test.
Individuals who discover 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 overall quality of life will be significantly improved.
It isn’t a comfortable talk to have. But when your loved one finally finds the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Need more helpful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us right away!