Denial is a typical first reaction. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s not old enough for a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the two of you have begun to kid around with each other about it. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. It’s only a game. You joke about it. But it’s starting to become less and less humorous. You’re starting to believe that perhaps your partner, sibling, or parent is either ignoring you or really having difficulty hearing.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one receives the care they need to continue to live a happy, healthy, active life even into their senior years.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will probably be showing these 4 common signs.
1. She appears to be fatigued, particularly in public
You may believe it’s just a sign of aging. 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 think that something isn’t right when she begins skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Loud noise seems to drain your loved one’s energy. This is particularly true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one discussion happening, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Individuals who are straining to hear put excess energy toward comprehending those around them. They often have to draw this energy from other functions in the brain like memory, talking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. In social settings, fatigue will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t presume you understand what she’s experiencing. It may be a mix of things. But ask questions. Get to the root cause and recommend that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She always cranks the TV up too loud
Frequently, you will identify this symptom first. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they turn it up very loud.
Your living room sounds like a cinema. You feel like you should have some popcorn, but it’s just your loved one blowing your ears out with the TV. Your neighbors can even hear it.
When you suggest that the TV is too loud, she might laugh and lower the volume. Then you realize that she just switched on the captions.
Perhaps she’s embarrassed about it. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing exam if this is a frequent thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it may be nothing. If it’s happening more often than that, pay attention.
Also, if she’s straining to hear phone calls you should take note.
Is she griping about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Does she frequently need people to repeat what they said? 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 center around TV volume, misconceptions, or what one claims the other person did or didn’t say.
When somebody isn’t able to hear, there will be much more tension in a household. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to seek out help is stressful to others. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart or alone.
Many couples don’t realize that hearing loss is the trigger, and this can harm their relationship irreparably. 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 totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re dealing with a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Encourage your loved one to call for an appointment.
If somebody has hearing loss, hearing aids can change their lives and most will state they would never go back. Typically, they wish they would have done it sooner. Their general quality of life will be significantly improved.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But the difficulty of this discussion is worth it when your loved one finally finds the assistance they need.
Need more helpful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!