It’s a common first response – denial. 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 joke around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to speak up. It’s only a game. You joke about it. But it’s starting to become less and less humorous. You wonder if she’s simply disregarding you or if she may actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
It’s time to be supportive and make certain your loved one receives the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active life well into their older age.
Here are 4 prevalent signals that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more tired than normal especially when you go out
You may think it’s simply an indication of aging. Your loved one used to have much more energy. You try to understand when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
Then she starts skipping meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they meet virtually, and you begin to realize something could be wrong. Your loved one’s energy seems to be depleted by loud environments. This is particularly true if they’re in a situation where there’s more than one discussion going on, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Individuals who are struggling to hear put excess energy toward understanding people around them. They often have to pull this energy from other functions in the brain like memory, talking, and moving.
Using this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just makes it tired. Your loved one will often seem to shut down with fatigue in social settings.
Don’t assume you understand what she’s dealing with. It could be a mix of things. In order to get to the bottom of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing test.
2. She always cranks the TV up really loud
This is frequently one of the first indications that you might perceive in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
You walk into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into a movie theater. You suddenly 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 can even hear it.
She may turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. Then you realize that she just turned on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she actually can’t hear the TV. If this is happening a lot, it might be time for you to suggest a hearing test.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it might be nothing. If it’s occurring more frequently than that, pay attention.
Also, if she’s struggling to hear phone conversations you should take note.
Is she complaining about people muttering or talking low constantly? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? It’s time for a compassionate talk about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. You’re feeling a rift in the relationship
Researchers have revealed that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have about 50% more quarrels. They may argue about what one of them may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When somebody can’t hear, there will be a lot more tension in a household. Their hearing loss is frustrating. And their refusal to get help is stressful to others. This brings about lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
This can lead to permanent damage to the relationship and the couple frequently doesn’t even realize that hearing loss is the reason. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
Whether it’s a friend, sibling, or partner, you can get new perspective on your relationships by simply getting a hearing test. Talk to your loved one about getting a hearing test.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can change their lives and most will say they would never go back. Typically, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their overall quality of life will be greatly improved.
It’s not an easy talk to have. But the challenge of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally gets the assistance they need.
Need more helpful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us right away!