Denial is a common first reaction. Of course, my loved one’s hearing loss isn’t as advanced as it seems. She’s not old enough to need a hearing aid.
Maybe, it’s become a joke between both of you. She is always asking you to repeat what you said. It’s just a game. You joke about it. But this game is getting old quickly. You wonder if she’s just disregarding you or if she may actually be having some genuine hearing trouble.
It’s time to be supportive and make certain your loved one receives the care they need to continue to live 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 signs.
1. She appears to be exhausted, especially in public
Maybe you think that it just normally happens when you age. Your loved one used to have much more energy. When she says she just doesn’t feel like going out tonight, you try to understand.
You really begin to suspect that something isn’t right when she starts skipping meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always loved. Your loved one’s energy seems to be depleted by loud environments. This is especially true if they are in a situation where there’s more than one discussion going on, or there’s a lot of background noise.
Additional energy is needed to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing problems. They frequently have to pull this energy from other brain functions like memory, speaking, and moving.
This use of additional energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. Your loved one will often seem to shut down with fatigue in social situations.
If you’re not personally experiencing the same thing, don’t presume you can relate to what she’s going through. It may be a combination of things. But ask questions. Get to the root cause and suggest that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She watches the TV LOUD
Frequently, you will notice this symptom first. They can’t seem to watch TV or listen to music at a healthy 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. You can even hear it from outdoors.
She may turn it down when you inform her it’s too loud. Then you realize that she just turned on the captions.
Perhaps she’s ashamed about it. If this is occurring a lot, it may be time for you to recommend a hearing test.
3. She says, “What?”… a lot
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or theater or she’s really concentrated on a movie, then it may be nothing. But you should pay closer attention if this is occurring frequently.
Furthermore, if she’s struggling to hear phone conversations you should take note.
Is she always annoyed because she thinks people are talking too quietly or muttering? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? If so, it’s time to have that loving chat about how much more enjoyable life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Couples argue twice as much when one of them is dealing with hearing loss, according to research. They may argue about what one of them may or may not have said, the volume of the TV, or other misunderstandings.
When somebody can’t hear, there will be a lot more tension in a household. They get frustrated about their hearing loss. Others get frustrated when they won’t get help. This often results in people choosing to spend more time alone because of more hurt feelings.
Many couples don’t recognize that hearing loss is the trigger, 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 spouse, you can get new perspective on your relationships by simply getting a hearing test. Speak with your loved one about getting a hearing test.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will say they would never go back. Usually, they wish they wouldn’t have waited so long. Their overall quality of life will be significantly improved.
It’s not a comfortable talk to have. But the difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally finds the help they need.
Need more useful ideas about how to handle your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us right away!