Hearing loss can be devastating, not just for the person struggling to hear, but for friends and loved ones as well. From the friends you see at rec league once a week to your spouse or family member you see every day, hearing loss affects all of your relationships, as it causes difficulties in communicating easily and effectively. The best thing you can do for your relationships is to treat your hearing loss, and treat it as soon as you begin to notice changes in your hearing.
Presbycusis – Age Related Hearing Loss
Presbycusis, more commonly known as age related hearing loss, affects millions of seniors. Age related hearing loss may occur as part of the natural aging process, where the cells in your ear are slowly damaged or destroyed due to the normal wear and tear of a lifetime of hearing. One-third of seniors over the age of 65 have some degree of hearing loss, and this number reaches half of all seniors over the age of 75! If you think hearing loss won’t affect you, think again. Either you or someone you love will face hearing loss, and if left untreated, your relationships may suffer.
How Relationships are Affected by Hearing Loss
Your hearing loss is about far more than straining to hear the TV during your favorite soap opera, or sometimes missing the phone when it rings. What you’ll soon realize is that hearing loss has a profound impact on your relationships. All relationships, whether with the barista at your local coffee shop, with your grandkids, or with your partner, are based on communication. If you aren’t able to communicate effectively, you can’t have a good relationship.
How Hearing Loss Affects Both You and Your Partner
Everyday communication is the key to a healthy relationship. Even if it doesn’t seem like your hearing loss is having an impact, you may find that you are not talking as much as you used to. All those small little things you used to tell each other add up to a lot of communication that’s now been lost, breaking down communication and intimacy, and leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness for both you and your spouse.
A 2016 study in France, published in Doverpress, looked at couples where just one person in the couple had hearing loss. It’s no surprise that the person with hearing loss was affected by their inability to hear, but the researchers found something very interesting. Both people in the relationship reported anxiety and stress, and often felt frustrated when trying to communicate. The person with hearing loss often avoided social activities, and felt isolated and lonely, leading to a very low quality of life. The shocking thing the study found was that not only was the spouse with hearing loss experiencing reduced quality of life, the hearing spouse was too! In fact, the hearing spouse was doing just as badly as their hard of hearing partner.
How to Help Yourself and Your Loved Ones
Hearing loss doesn’t just impact the person with hearing loss, it impacts everyone around them too. If you have hearing loss, then the whole family is involved. The study that showed how much your hearing loss is affecting those around you found that the best outcomes were in the couples that worked together to find solutions. Coping strategies like problem solving or positive thinking led to higher quality of life for everyone.
If you’ve been reluctant to get your hearing tested or get fitted for a hearing aid, it’s time to broaden the picture. The average American will wait five to seven years to get a hearing device, even though they’re struggling to hear! Think about your loved ones, how much you miss being able to communicate with them, and how much your hearing loss is impacting their lives too.
Getting a hearing test and being fitted for a hearing aid isn’t just for you; it’s about all your loved ones who miss being able to call you on the phone, say hi at the weekly brunch you stopped going to a few months ago, or just drop in for tea and have a chat. And it’s about your spouse, who is struggling just as much as you, even though they can hear. If you’re ready to make a change and get back to communicating, visit the nearest My Hearing Centers, where our trained team of hearing specialists will find you the perfect device that will help you and help your relationships.