It’s a normal first reaction – denial. My loved one must be simply making it seem like their hearing loss is worse than it really is. She’s not old enough for a hearing aid.
Maybe, it’s become a joke between the two of you. Your loved one constantly asks you to repeat yourself. It’s just a game. You laugh about it. But this game is getting old fast. You’re starting to think that maybe your partner, brother, or parent is either dismissing you or really having difficulty hearing.
It’s time to be supportive and make sure your loved one gets the care they need to keep living a happy, healthy, active lifestyle well into their senior years.
Here are 4 prevalent indications that somebody you know needs a hearing aid.
1. She’s more tired than usual particularly when you go out
Perhaps you believe that it just normally happens when you get older. Your loved one just doesn’t have as much energy as they used to. 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 begins missing meetings with clubs, organizations, and hobby groups she’s always enjoyed. Loud noise seems to drain your loved one’s energy. This is especially true if they’re in a situation where there is more than one discussion going on, or there’s lots of background noise.
Additional energy is needed to hear and understand what people are saying when someone is coping with hearing problems. They often have to draw this energy from other brain functions such as memory, talking, and moving.
This use of additional energy is actually fatiguing the brain not strengthening it. Your loved one will often seem to shut down with fatigue in social settings.
Don’t presume you know what she’s dealing with. Her feelings might be the result of numerous factors. But ask questions. Get to the root cause and suggest that she get a hearing test.
2. She always turns the TV up too loud
This is frequently one of the first signs that you may notice in another person. Whenever they play music or watch TV, they turn it up very loud.
You walk into the room, and it sounds like you’ve just walked into 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 turned on the captions.
Maybe she’s embarrassed about it. It’s probably time for you to recommend a hearing assessment if this is a frequent thing.
3. She frequently needs people to repeat themselves
If you’re in a really loud setting like a concert or theater or she’s really focused on a movie, then it may be nothing. But you should be mindful if this is occurring often.
Furthermore, if she’s straining to hear phone conversations you should pay attention.
Is she griping about people mumbling or talking low constantly? Is she asking people to repeat themselves? If so, it’s time to have that loving conversation about how much better life is with hearing aids.
4. Your relationship is feeling tense
Couples argue twice as much when one of them has hearing loss, according to research. These quarrels might center around TV volume, misunderstandings, or what one says the other person did or didn’t say.
In general, there’s just more tension in a household when somebody can’t hear. They get aggravated about their hearing loss. And their refusal to get help is stressful to others. This brings about lots of hurt feelings and decisions to spend more time apart and alone.
Many couples don’t recognize 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.
Simply getting a hearing exam can give you a completely new perspective on your relationship, whether you’re dealing with a spouse, sibling, or dear friend. Encourage your loved one to call for an appointment.
If someone has hearing loss, hearing aids can improve their lives and most will state they would never go back. As a matter of fact, they regret they didn’t get them sooner. Their general quality of life will be significantly enhanced.
It’s not an easy talk to have. But the difficulty of this conversation is worth it when your loved one finally finds the help they need.
Need more practical ideas about how to address your loved one’s hearing loss? Call us right away!
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