It’s a normal first response – denial. My loved one must be simply making it seem as if their hearing loss is more severe than it actually is. She’s not old enough for a hearing aid.
It’s possible, the two of you have begun to joke around with one another about it. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. It’s just a game. You joke about it. But this game is getting old quickly. You’re beginning to think that maybe your partner, brother, or parent is either dismissing you or really having trouble hearing.
You want your loved one to have a balanced, active, and happy life for many years so it’s likely time to be encouraging and help them seek out the appropriate help.
Here are 4 prevalent signs that someone you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She seems exhausted, especially in public
You may believe it’s just an indication of getting older. Your loved one really 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 be patient.
You really begin to think that something isn’t right when she begins missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Loud noise seems to sap your loved one’s energy. If there is lots of background noise, or if more than one conversation is happening at the same time, this is particularly true.
Additional energy is needed to hear and comprehend what people are saying when someone is struggling with hearing issues. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions like memory, talking, and moving.
This use of additional energy is actually exhausting the brain not strengthening it. In social settings, exhaustion will often seem to shut your loved one down.
Don’t presume you know what she’s experiencing. Her feelings may be due to numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the underlying cause and recommend that she gets her hearing tested.
2. She always cranks the TV up too loud
This is frequently one of the first indications that you may notice in another person. Whenever they listen to music or watch TV, they turn it up very loud.
You go into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just entered a 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 may laugh and turn it down. Then you realize that she just switched on the captions.
She may not want to acknowledge that she actually can’t hear the TV. If this is occurring a lot, it may be time for you to suggest a hearing test.
3. She often needs people to repeat themselves
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. 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 on the phone.
Is she complaining about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Does she regularly need people to repeat what they said? If so, it’s time to have that loving discussion about how much better life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Couples argue two times as much when one of them is dealing with hearing loss, according to research. These quarrels might be about TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one says the other person may or may not have said.
Overall, there’s just more tension in a household when somebody can’t hear. 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.
Many couples don’t realize 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. Encourage your loved one to call for an appointment.
People who realize they need hearing aids and wear them say they’d never go back. Typically, they wish they would have done it sooner. They feel happier, healthier, and more active.
It isn’t an easy conversation to have. But when your loved one finally finds the help they need it will all have been worth it.
Call us today and let us help you with some ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss!