Can Fatigue be the Outcome of Hearing Loss

There are lots of possible causes of tiredness, everything from not being able to sleep at night to respiratory issues like sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also cause fatigue and that’s hearing loss.

That’s at least partly due to the fact that hearing loss normally develops gradually over time. You might not immediately recognize the symptoms and, as a result, you may feel as though you’re constantly tired for no reason. This can be a frustrating experience. Additionally, this exhaustion can often lead to irritability and, ultimately, social isolation. Fortunately, your energy levels will typically improve once you get your hearing loss treated.

Hearing loss moves gradually (and your brain compensates)

For the majority of individuals, hearing loss is a very gradually-progressing condition that gets worse over time. In its early stages, you probably won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. If you aren’t specifically watching for them, even obvious symptoms, like cranking the volume on your audio devices way up, can be easy to miss.

Fatigue is one of the most noticeable symptoms of hearing loss. In spite of how much sleep you get, you could still feel fatigued. Regrettably, many people don’t instinctively connect this symptom with hearing loss.

That’s because the cause takes place in your brain. When your ears aren’t getting as much information, your brain works overtime to comprehend it all. In the same way as sustained periods of intense concentration can leave you worn out, the additional brain power required to hear what people are saying can be exhausting. Left neglected, this exhaustion can grow worse over time, affecting your quality of life and your ability to complete daily routine activities.

The role of stigma

So when individuals start to feel tired, why wouldn’t they just visit a hearing specialist? One partial reason is that people just don’t connect fatigue with hearing loss. But there’s another reason that might inevitably be more detrimental: stigma. Individuals frequently feel as if others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that admitting it will ruin their lives. All of these things are false, and they stop many people from seeking treatment.

However, this stigma is starting to fade away as more people become open to their hearing loss. Many individuals understand that hearing loss isn’t some type of social failing, and the very small construction of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around folks who sadly will not get over this stigma.

It’s a shame that this social stigma can make it more difficult for individuals to find the care they need because this often leads to hearing loss that grows worse over time when it may not need to.

Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue

The earliest phases of hearing loss might not have any noticeable symptoms. That’s why hearing specialists favor taking a preventative approach rather than the far more difficult and less effective reactive method. For instance, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you detect symptoms can help establish a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Early treatment will be a lot more effective once we have identified that baseline.

If your hearing loss is causing fatigue, there are some steps you can take to minimize that exhaustion as much as possible. Here are a few of the most common and simplest steps:

• See a hearing specialist: It’s important to keep tabs on your hearing health. When hearing loss is in its early stages, your brain doesn’t need to work as hard as it does when the condition worsens, and a hearing specialist can diagnose hearing loss when it first begins to develop.
• Be certain you use your hearing aids as often as you can: Hearing aids are manufactured to help you focus on the sounds of human speech, meaning conversation will be significantly easier to make out when you are hearing them. This means your brain won’t have to work as hard and you will not experience the same level of fatigue.
• Give yourself a rest in between conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and recharge in between conversations. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make everyday communication a bit more sustainable.
• Try to locate more quiet, isolated spots for conversations: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be challenging to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some circumstances. It will be easier, and less tiring, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter area.

It’s most likely time to make an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing exhaustion with no evident cause. Treating hearing loss can help you reduce your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re concerned about the stigma.