It’s a common first response – denial. Of course, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s too young to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, the both of you have begun to kid around with one another about it. She is always requesting that you repeat what you said. You joke about it as if it’s simply a game. But it’s starting to become less and less humorous. You’re beginning to believe that perhaps your spouse, sibling, or parent is either ignoring you or actually having trouble hearing.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and joyful life for many years so it’s likely time to be encouraging and help them find the appropriate help.
Here are 4 prevalent signs that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more drained than usual particularly when you go out
You might think it’s just an indication of getting older. Your loved one used to have a lot more energy. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to be patient.
You really start to think that something isn’t right when she begins skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Your loved one’s energy seems to be drained by loud settings. This is particularly true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one discussion happening, or there’s lots of background noise.
Additional energy is needed to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing problems. As a result, energy is taken from other essential brain functions like physical movement, memory, and speaking.
This use of additional 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 assume you know what she’s dealing with. Her feelings may be due to numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the base cause and suggest that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She always turns the TV up really loud
This is frequently one of the first signs that you may perceive in another person. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they turn it up really loud.
Your living room sounds like a movie theater. 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.
She might turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. Then you notice that she just switched on the captions.
She might not want to acknowledge that she actually can’t hear the TV. It’s probably time for you to suggest a hearing test if this is a regular thing.
3. She often needs people to repeat what they said
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 be mindful if this is happening frequently.
Likewise, take notice if she seems to have a lot of trouble hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she griping about people mumbling or low-talking constantly? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? It’s time for a compassionate talk about the advantages of hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling strained
Researchers have revealed that couples, where one has hearing loss, have around 50% more quarrels. They may argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
In general, there’s just more tension in a household when somebody can’t hear. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to seek out help is stressful to others. This frequently results in people choosing to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
Many couples don’t recognize that hearing loss is the cause, and this can damage 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 partner, you can get new perspective on your relationships by simply getting a hearing test. Inspire your loved one to call for an appointment.
People who discover they need hearing aids and wear them say they’d never go back. Normally, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their general quality of life will be significantly improved.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But when your loved one finally gets 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!
