It’s a normal first response – denial. My loved one must be simply making it seem as if their hearing loss is worse than it actually is. She’s too young to require a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the both of you have started to joke around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to speak up. It’s just a game. You laugh about it. But it’s beginning to become less and less funny. You wonder if she’s just ignoring you or if she may actually be having some legit 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 senior years.
If someone you know needs hearing aids they will most likely be showing these 4 prevalent symptoms.
1. She’s more tired than normal especially when you go out
Maybe you believe that it just ordinarily occurs when you age. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they once did. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to understand.
You really begin to think that something isn’t right when she begins skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Loud noise seems to sap 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 a lot of background noise.
Individuals who are straining to hear put excess energy toward understanding people around them. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions like memory, speaking, and moving.
This use of extra energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. In social situations, 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 combination of things. In order to get to the bottom of the problem, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing exam.
2. She always cranks the TV up really loud
This is frequently one of the first indications that you may identify in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a normal volume.
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. Your neighbors are even able to hear it.
When you say that the TV is too loud, she might chuckle and lower the volume. Then you realize that she just switched on the captions.
Maybe she’s ashamed about it. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing exam if this is a frequent thing.
3. She often needs people to repeat themselves
If you’re in a really loud environment like a concert or movie theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it may be nothing. But you should pay closer attention if this is happening often.
Also, if she’s straining to hear phone calls you should pay attention.
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 chat about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Couples argue two times as much when one of them has hearing loss, according to research. These arguments might be about TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one claims the other person may or may not have said.
In general, there’s just more stress in a household when someone can’t hear. Their hearing loss is stressful. Others get frustrated when they won’t go in for help. This frequently leads to people choosing to spend more time alone due to 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 test can give you a completely new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re talking about a spouse, sibling, or dear friend. Speak with your loved one about getting a hearing test.
Individuals who realize they need hearing aids and wear them say they’d never go back. Typically, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their general quality of life will be significantly enhanced.
It isn’t a comfortable conversation to have. But the difficulty of this discussion is worth it when your loved one finally gets the assistance they need.
Need more useful ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!