It’s a common first response – denial. Surely, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s too young to need a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the both of you have started to kid around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to speak up. You joke about it as if it’s just a game. But this game is getting old fast. You question whether she’s simply disregarding you or if she might actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one receives the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active life well into their senior years.
Here are 4 prevalent signs that someone you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She appears to be exhausted, particularly in public
Perhaps you believe that it just ordinarily happens when you age. Your loved one used to have a lot 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 missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Your loved one’s energy seems to be exhausted by loud environments. If there is a lot of background noise, or if more than one conversation is taking place at the same time, this is especially true.
Additional energy is needed to hear and understand what people are saying when somebody 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 fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. In social settings, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t presume you understand what she’s dealing with. Her feelings might be due to a number of factors. But ask questions. Get to the base cause and recommend that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
Often, you will identify this symptom first. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they crank it up very loud.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a movie theater. You instantly 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 are even able to hear it.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she may chuckle and lower the volume. Then you realize that she just turned on the captions.
Perhaps she’s embarrassed about it. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing test if this is a regular thing.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat what they said
It may not be a problem if you are in a very loud environment or she’s really focused on something. If it’s happening more often than that, pay attention.
Also, if she’s struggling to hear phone calls you should pay attention.
Is she griping about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Is she asking people to repeat themselves? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Couples argue twice as much when one of them is dealing with hearing loss, according to research. These arguments might center around TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one claims the other person may or may not have said.
Overall, there’s just more tension in a household when someone can’t hear. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. Others get frustrated when they won’t get help. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart or alone.
This can lead to irreversible harm to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even recognize that hearing loss is the reason. It’s important to get the proper help because even moderate hearing loss can strain relationships.
The simple act of getting a hearing test can give you a totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sibling, or dear friend. Inspire your loved one to call for an appointment.
People who realize they need hearing aids and use them say they’d never go back. Typically, they wish they would have done it sooner. Their general quality of life will be greatly enhanced.
It isn’t a comfortable talk to have. But the difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally gets the assistance they need.
Need more helpful ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!