It’s a normal first response – denial. My loved one must be just making it seem like their hearing loss is worse than it actually is. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the two 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 joke about it. But it’s beginning to become less and less funny. You’re beginning to think that maybe your spouse, brother, or parent is either ignoring you or actually having difficulty hearing.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one gets the care they need to continue to live a happy, healthy, active lifestyle even into their older age.
Here are 4 common signals that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more tired than normal especially when you go out
You might believe it’s simply an indication of getting older. Your loved one used to have much more energy. You try to relate when she says that won’t be going out tonight.
You really start to think that something isn’t right when she starts missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Your loved one’s energy seems to be depleted by loud settings. This is especially true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one conversation happening, or there’s lots of background noise.
Extra energy is required to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing problems. Consequently, energy is transferred from other essential brain functions like physical mobility, memory, and talking.
This use of extra energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. In social situations, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t presume you understand what she’s dealing with. It could be a mix of things. In order to get to the root of the issue, ask her questions and advocate for a hearing assessment.
2. She always turns the TV up too loud
Often, you will identify this symptom first. Whenever they play music or watch TV, they turn it up really loud.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a movie theater. You feel like you should make 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 suggest that the TV is too loud, she might chuckle and lower the volume. But actually, she turned on closed captions.
Perhaps she’s ashamed about it. It’s likely time for you to suggest a hearing assessment if this is a frequent thing.
3. She often needs people to repeat themselves
It may not be a problem if you are in a very loud setting or she’s really zoned in on something. But you should pay closer attention if this is happening often.
Similarly, take notice if she seems to have a lot of difficulty hearing when she’s using the phone.
Is she constantly frustrated because she thinks people are speaking too quietly or muttering? Is she requesting that people repeat themselves? It’s time for a compassionate chat about the benefits of hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling strained
Researchers have discovered that couples, where one has hearing loss, have around 50% more quarrels. They might argue about what one of them did or didn’t say, the volume of the TV, or other misconceptions.
When someone isn’t able to hear, there will be much more stress in a household. Their hearing loss is stressful. And their refusal to get help is stressful to others. This frequently results in people choosing to spend more time apart due to more hurt feelings.
This can lead to permanent harm to the relationship and the couple often doesn’t even recognize that hearing loss is the cause. Even moderate hearing loss can strain a relationship, so it pays to get it checked out.
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 schedule an appointment.
Individuals who realize they need hearing aids and wear them say they’d never go back. In fact, they regret they waited so long to get them in the first place. They feel healthier, happier, and more energetic.
It can be a challenging conversation to have. But when your loved one finally gets the help they require it will all have been worth it.
Need more helpful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us right away!