Denial is a typical first reaction. My loved one must be just making it seem as if their hearing loss is worse than it really is. She’s too young to require a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the two of you have begun to joke around with one another about it. She is always asking you to repeat what you said. You joke about it as if it’s just a game. But it’s beginning to become less and less humorous. You’re starting to believe that perhaps your spouse, sibling, or parent is either ignoring you or really having difficulty hearing.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and happy life for years to come so it’s probably time to be encouraging and help them seek out the correct help.
Here are 4 prevalent signals that someone you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She seems exhausted, particularly in public
Perhaps you believe that it just normally occurs when you get older. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. You try to understand when she says that she’s not going out tonight.
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 exhausted by loud settings. This is particularly true if they are in a situation where there’s more than one conversation happening, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Additional energy is needed to hear and understand what people are saying when somebody is coping with hearing issues. Consequently, energy is taken from other important brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and speaking.
Using this extra brainpower doesn’t strengthen the brain; it just tires it out. In social settings, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t assume you know what she’s experiencing. It could be a combination of things. But ask questions. Get to the base cause and recommend that she get a hearing test.
2. She always cranks the TV up really loud
This is often one of the first signs that you might identify in another person. They can’t seem to watch TV or play music at a normal volume.
You walk into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into a movie theater. You instantly get the impulse to make some popcorn, except you realize that she’s just watching a reality show or documentary at a volume that almost blows your ears out. Your neighbors can even hear it.
She may turn it down when you tell her it’s too loud. But it turns out, she turned closed captions on.
Perhaps she’s ashamed about it. If this is occurring a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing exam.
3. She often needs people to repeat what they said
It might not be a problem if you are in a really loud environment or she’s really zoned in on something. If it’s happening more often than that, pay attention.
Likewise, pay attention if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she always aggravated because she thinks people are speaking too low or mumbling? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? If so, it’s time to have that loving discussion about how much more enjoyable life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Researchers have discovered that couples, where one is dealing with hearing loss, have about 50% more arguments. They might argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misunderstandings.
When somebody isn’t able to hear, there will be much more tension in a household. Their hearing loss is stressful. Others get frustrated when they won’t get help. This leads to lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
This can cause irreversible harm to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even comprehend that hearing loss is the reason. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
Simply getting a hearing test can give you a totally new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re dealing with a spouse, sister, or dear friend. Encourage your loved one to call for an appointment.
If somebody has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will say they would never go back. Usually, they wish they would have done it sooner. Their general quality of life will be significantly enhanced.
It can be a difficult 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 address your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us today!