It’s something lots of individuals suffer with, but most don’t want to talk about – hearing loss and its effect on personal relationships. Hearing loss can create communication hurdles that result in misunderstandings and aggravation for both partners.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner isn’t it a great opportunity to show your love and appreciation for your loved one? A wonderful way to do this is to talk to your loved one about your hearing loss.
Having “the talk”
A person with untreated hearing loss has a 2.4 times more likely chance of developing cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease according to some studies. A cascade effect that will eventually affect the entire brain will be initiated when the part of your brain in charge of hearing becomes less active. This is referred to as brain atrophy by doctors. You remember how the old saying goes, “use it or lose it”.
Depression numbers amongst people with hearing loss are nearly double that of an individual with healthy hearing. People frequently become stressed and agitated as their hearing loss progresses according to research. The person could start to separate themselves from friends and family. As they sink deeper into sadness, people with hearing loss are likely to avoid taking part in the activities they once enjoyed.
Relationships between family, friends, and others then become tense. Communication problems need to be handled with patients and compassion.
Mystery solved
Your loved one might not be ready to let you know they are developing hearing loss. They might feel shame and fear. Denial might have set in. Deciding when to have the conversation could take a little detective work.
Here are a few external cues you will have to depend on because you can’t hear what others are hearing:
- Avoiding busy places
- Watching television with the volume very high
- Failing to hear alarms, doorbells, and other essential sounds
- School, work, and hobbies are starting to become difficult
- Avoiding conversations
- Repeated misunderstandings
- Agitation or anxiety in social settings that you haven’t previously observed
- Complaining about ringing, humming, static, or other sounds that you can’t hear
Watch for these prevalent symptoms and plan on having a heart-to-heart conversation with your loved one.
How to talk about hearing loss
Having this conversation may not be easy. A loved one could become defensive and brush it off if they’re in denial. That’s why discussing hearing loss in an appropriate manner is so relevant. You might need to alter your language based on your unique relationship, but the steps will be more or less the same.
- Step 1: Tell them how much you love them unconditionally and how much you appreciate your relationship.
- Step 2: You are concerned about their health. You’ve read through the studies. You know that a higher risk of depression and dementia comes along with neglected hearing loss. You don’t want your loved one to deal with that.
- Step 3: You’re also worried about your own health and safety. An overly loud TV could harm your hearing. In addition, studies show that elevated noise can create anxiety, which may impact your relationship. Your loved one may not hear you calling for help if you have a fall or somebody’s broken into the house. People relate to others through emotion. Simply listing facts won’t have as much impact as painting an emotional picture.
- Step 4: Make an appointment to have your hearing tested together. After you make the decision make an appointment as soon as possible. Don’t hold off.
- Step 5: There may be some opposition so be ready. These could happen at any time in the process. This is a person you know well. What will their doubts be? Money? Time? Possibly they don’t detect that it’s a problem. They might feel that homemade remedies will be just fine. (“Natural hearing loss remedies” aren’t effective and can even be harmful.)
Be prepared with your responses. You might even practice them in the mirror. These answers need to address your loved one’s Worries but they don’t have to match those listed above word-for-word
Relationship growth
If your partner is unwilling to discuss their hearing loss, it can be challenging. Openly talking about the impact of hearing loss on your relationship can help to solidify a plan to deal with any communication issues and ensure that both partners are heard and understood. In this way, your relationship will grow stronger and your loved one will take steps to live a longer, healthier life. And relationships are, after all, about growing together.
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References
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-common-problem-older-adults