How Hearing Loss Treatment Can Strengthen Your Relationships

Matt DearingHearing Loss

Do you struggle to hear when someone’s speaking to you? If you have hearing loss, you know that it’s affecting communication. Even simple conversations lead to misunderstandings, and you have to ask for clarification at least once. Maybe this doesn’t seem like a big deal to you right now, but living with untreated hearing loss will create problems in both your professional and personal life as communication continues to deteriorate.

Hearing loss and how it affects communication

How does hearing loss affect communication? Hearing loss affects over 37 million Americans, so there’s a good chance you or someone you know has hearing loss. Losing your hearing isn’t just about missing a few sounds here and there or not being able to hear the birds chirping in the park. You’ll start missing words, then complete sentences, as your hearing deteriorates. You may find it challenging to follow conversations, especially in complicated situations, and you will not communicate appropriately with family and friends. With hearing loss, you’ll feel more exhausted by the end of the day just from straining to hear.

 

When you’re not able to hear clearly, communication breaks down. Regular conversations are replaced with yelling matches that end with both sides completely frustrated, as you ask for sentences to be repeated, interrupt for clarification, or quickly get confused. Trying to guess at words or fill in the blanks to make sense of the conversation, you’ll often miss the punchline or find yourself missing the joke yet again. With hearing loss, it’s common to mishear questions or comments, and you’ll find yourself replying inappropriately in conversations. This can be embarrassing or uncomfortable, and you may start to feel like an outsider, even among your own family and friends.

Isolation quickly follows 

A study by the American Academy of Audiology found that adults with untreated hearing loss were more likely to feel anxiety and depression and were less likely to attend social gatherings or participate in group activities. This is because social events can be challenging for those with hearing loss. 

 

While seeing friends can be a struggle, meeting new people causes anxiety since you’re worried about what kind of impression you’ll make if you mishear them too many times. With all that background noise and multiple conversations, it becomes increasingly hard to understand what’s going on around you. 

 

Feeling like an outsider and struggling in conversations, it’s no wonder that those with hearing loss choose to stay home rather than face social settings. This is a truly isolating experience, creating a huge barrier and making it hard to connect. 

How hearing treatment improves hearing 

Lower stress levels: Hearing aids make listening easier, allowing you to relax and enjoy your interactions. Your interactions with others will be less strained due to lower stress levels, and you will be able to focus on improving your connections rather than attempting to hear. You’ll have extra brain space for focus and memory, which should boost your work performance and interactions with coworkers.

 

An improved hearing range: Hearing aids allow you to hear in a broader range of frequencies, which might help you reconnect with family members.

 

Improved communication: Hearing aids will make all the difference whether you’re on a dinner date with your partner, talking on the phone with a friend, or helping the kids with their schoolwork.

 

Self-assurance and independence: Hearing aids will help you regain confidence and maintain an active lifestyle. This, in turn, will assist you in staying in touch with others around you. You won’t have to be concerned about following a discussion or participating in social or sporting activities.

 

We are committed to helping you find the hearing solution that will match your lifestyle. With decades of experience and a high level of expertise, we’ll be with you every step of the way, from the initial hearing test to choosing the perfect hearing device and ensuring the fit is comfortable and secure. Contact us today to set up an appointment.