It’s a normal first response – 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 kid around with one another about it. She is always asking you to repeat what you said. It’s only a game. You laugh about it. But this game is getting old quickly. You’re beginning to believe that maybe your partner, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or actually having trouble hearing.
You want your loved one to have a healthy, energetic, and joyful life for many years so it’s likely time to be encouraging and help them find the appropriate help.
Here are 4 common signs that someone you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She seems exhausted, especially in public
Perhaps you think that it just normally occurs when you get older. Your loved one used to have much more energy. You try to relate when she says that she’s not going out tonight.
Then she begins skipping 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 may be wrong. Your loved one’s energy seems to be exhausted by loud settings. This is especially true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one conversation going on, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Extra energy is required to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing issues. Consequently, energy is taken from other essential brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and speaking.
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.
If you’re not personally experiencing the same thing, don’t assume you can relate to what she’s going through. 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 exam.
2. She likes the TV LOUD
This is frequently one of the first signs that you may perceive in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy volume.
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. You can even hear it from outdoors.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she might chuckle and lower the volume. Then you notice that she just turned on the captions.
Perhaps she’s embarrassed about it. If this is happening a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing exam.
3. She often needs people to repeat themselves
It may not be a problem if you are in a really loud setting or she’s really zoned in on something. But you should pay closer attention if this is occurring frequently.
Similarly, take notice if she seems to have a lot of trouble hearing when she’s on the phone.
Is she griping about people muttering or low-talking constantly? Is she asking people to repeat themselves? It’s time for a compassionate talk about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling strained
Researchers have revealed that couples, where one has hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. These quarrels may center around TV volume, misconceptions, or what one claims the other person may or may not have said.
When somebody can’t hear, there will be much more stress in a household. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to seek out help is frustrating to others. This frequently leads to people deciding to spend more time alone due to more hurt feelings.
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.
Whether it’s a friend, sibling, or spouse, you can get new perspective on your relationships by simply getting a hearing test. Encourage your loved one to schedule an appointment.
People who recognize they need hearing aids and wear them say they’d never go back. Usually, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their general quality of life will be greatly improved.
It can be a challenging talk to have. But when your loved one finally finds the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Need more helpful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!
