Denial is a typical first reaction. My loved one must be simply making it seem like their hearing loss is more severe than it actually is. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the both of you have started to kid around with one another about it. Your loved one always asks you to speak up. You laugh about it as if it’s simply a game. But this game is getting old quickly. You’re beginning to think that maybe your spouse, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or actually having trouble hearing.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, active, and happy life for many years so it’s likely time to be supportive and help them seek out the correct help.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be exhibiting these 4 common signs.
1. She’s more drained than normal especially when you go out
Perhaps you think that it just normally occurs when you age. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to understand.
Then she begins missing meetings with a hobby group, organization, or club that she’s always enjoyed, even when they meet virtually, and you begin to realize something may be wrong. Loud noise seems to deplete your loved one’s energy. This is particularly true if they are in a situation where there is more than one conversation going on, or there’s lots of background noise.
People who are struggling to hear put excess energy toward understanding people around them. As a result, energy is transferred from other essential brain functions like physical movement, memory, and talking.
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.
Don’t presume you understand what she’s experiencing. It may be a combination of things. But ask questions. Get to the root cause and recommend that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She watches the TV LOUD
This is often one of the first indications that you might notice in another person. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they crank it up really loud.
You walk into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into a movie theater. You feel like you should make some popcorn, but it’s just your loved one blowing your ears out with the TV. Your neighbors are even able to hear it.
She may turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. But it turns out, she turned closed captions on.
She may not want to acknowledge that she really can’t hear the TV. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing assessment if this is a frequent thing.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it might be nothing. But you should pay closer attention if this is happening frequently.
Furthermore, if she’s struggling to hear phone calls you should pay attention.
Is she griping about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? If so, it’s time to have that loving chat about how much better life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Researchers have discovered that couples, where one has hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. These quarrels may center around TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one claims the other person did or didn’t say.
In general, there’s just more tension in a household when someone can’t hear. Their hearing loss is stressful. And their refusal to get help is frustrating to others. This frequently results in people deciding to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
Many couples don’t realize that hearing loss is the cause, and this can harm their relationship irreparably. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
The simple act of getting a hearing exam can give you a completely new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Encourage your loved one to schedule an appointment.
If somebody has hearing loss, hearing aids can change their lives and most will say they would never go back. Usually, they wish they would have done it sooner. They feel healthier, happier, and more active.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But the difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally gets the help they need.
Call or Text Us today and let us help you with some ideas about how to tackle your loved one’s hearing loss!