It’s a common first reaction – denial. My loved one must be just making it seem like their hearing loss is more severe than it really is. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the both of you have begun to joke around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. You laugh about it like it’s just a game. But this game is getting old quickly. You wonder if she’s simply disregarding you or if she might actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
It’s time to be supportive and make certain your loved one gets the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active lifestyle well into their older age.
Here are 4 common signs that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more drained than normal particularly when you go out
You might believe it’s just a sign of getting older. Your loved one really doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. When she says she isn’t feeling like going out tonight, you try to be patient.
Then she begins missing meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they get together virtually, and you begin to recognize something could be wrong. Loud noise seems to drain your loved one’s energy. If there is a lot of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening at the same time, this is especially true.
People who are struggling to hear put excess energy toward understanding people around them. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions such as memory, speaking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. Your loved one will frequently seem to shut down with fatigue in social situations.
If you’re not personally experiencing the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s dealing with. Her feelings might be attributable to a number of factors. In order to get to the bottom of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing test.
2. She always turns the TV up too loud
This is often one of the first indications that you may identify in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or play music at a normal volume.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. You suddenly get the impulse 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. You can even hear it from outside.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she may chuckle and lower the volume. Then you notice that she just turned on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing exam if this is a regular thing.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
It might not be a problem if you are in a really loud setting or she’s really focused on something. If it’s occurring more often 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? Does she frequently need people to repeat what they said? It’s time for a compassionate talk about the advantages of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a rift in the relationship
Researchers have found that couples, where one has hearing loss, have around 50% more arguments. These quarrels might be about TV volume, misconceptions, or what one says the other person did or didn’t say.
When someone can’t hear, there will be much more stress in a household. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. Others get upset when they won’t go in for help. This often leads to people choosing to spend more time apart because of more hurt feelings.
This can lead to irreversible damage to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even realize that hearing loss is the cause. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
The simple act of getting a hearing test can give you a completely new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re dealing with a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Inspire your loved one to call for an appointment.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will say they would never go back. Typically, they wish they would have done it sooner. Their overall quality of life will be greatly improved.
It’s not a comfortable talk to have. But the challenge of this discussion is worth it when your loved one finally finds the help they need.
Call us right away and let us help you with some ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss!