When someone we love struggles to hear, it’s natural to focus on what they’re missing. But hearing loss rarely stays with one person. It moves through a household like ripple effects through water, impacting the people near and dear.
A 2024 review, which analyzed results from 24 different studies, found that hearing loss was consistently linked to a greater risk of depression as time went on. 1
But the emotional weight of hearing loss rarely stops with the person experiencing it. Care partners (spouses, adult children, siblings, or simply people who help) often quietly fill in the blanks of a conversation. Over time, that chronically challenging effort can become tiring in its own way.
This October marks Depression Awareness Month, a fitting time to look at hearing loss from an angle rarely covered. It’s not just about who has hearing loss but how it quietly reshapes the emotional world of their loved ones.
Think of a conversation like two people on a seesaw. When it’s balanced, both sides do their share of the work, and nobody has to press too hard. But when one side struggles to hear, the other side must lean in harder to keep things level. That natural necessity comes with a cost of its own, weighing down all those involved.
Researchers have a meaningful name for what these caring companions do. They call anyone who regularly helps someone with hearing loss stay connected a communication partner.
A 2017 synthesis of 78 studies found that communication partners of people with hearing loss described taking on extra work to keep conversations connected and reported the effort and fatigue of continually adapting to communication breakdowns. 2
In a long-term U.S. study of 4,881 older married couples, hearing loss was associated with more depressive symptoms in the person experiencing it and, in some circumstances, in their spouse. 3
None of this diminishes what the person with hearing loss is going through. It simply means the seesaw has two sides. A recent survey found that 60% of hearing-aid users said the device had significantly improved their connection with their partner. 4 Better hearing restores more than clarity for the person who needs help and creates positive ripple effects which flow to all involved.
If you’ve been noticing the strain hearing loss puts on the people around you, consider this an open invitation to take that first healthy step. By getting your hearing tested regularly, we will ensure your solution is the right fit. Taking care of your ears will add life to your years, and to cherished moments you share with all those in your Circle of Life.
1 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11532142/
2 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2331216517734088
3 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10478395/
4 https://www.disabilitysupportguide.com.au/talking-disability/hearing-aids-are-unlocking-better-relationships-and-careers-for-australians