Heal Your Relationships by Healing Your Hearing Loss

Presbycusis is the name given to hearing loss that is sustained as a result of advanced age and affects a vast number of Americans. Although hearing loss can affect anyone at any point in their lives, presbycusis can be exceptionally challenging due to several other changes that occur in one’s life as a result of aging.

Hearing loss due to age results from the deterioration of the delicate hair follicles within the inner ear. This deterioration is a result of the exposure of the ears to multiple hardships and harsh listening environments over the years. Presbycusis is a common occurrence in the elderly population, affecting around 1 in every 3 elderly adults aged 65 and above. By the time people reach 75 years of age, they have a 50% likelihood of having some type of hearing difficulty. Aging itself brings several health complications, thus it is important to treat your hearing loss so as not to add to the mix.

People tend not to take hearing loss all that seriously, but untreated hearing loss has been shown to adversely affect physiological, psychological, as well as social health. Your relationships with your friends and family members may suffer if you choose to ignore your hearing loss.

Hearing loss does not affect only the one who has it; it also affects all those who come in contact with the person with hearing loss. This includes spouses, children, and grandchildren. Imagine your loved ones constantly having to repeat themselves to you and feeling neglected and unheard when you fail to understand what they are telling you. Over time, this frustration can lead to your family members cutting you out from their daily interactions, which can result in isolation.

Relationships suffer a combined increase in stress in both partners when one partner reports having hearing loss. This finding was reported by a study conducted in France in 2016. It is obvious that the person suffering from hearing loss faces several stressors that can lead to anxiety, depression, or increased stress. Even their partner is subjected to a significant degree of stress as well as anxiety due to their increased challenges in communicating with their hearing impaired partner.

Not only does hearing loss decrease the quality of the hearing impaired individual’s life, it also hampers the lifestyle of their partner. This indicates that hearing loss is a far severe problem that is best treated at an appropriate time. If left untreated, not only you but even your loved ones will suffer the consequences.

As reluctant as you may be to address your hearing loss, there are actually several effective treatment methods that are at your disposal. Treating hearing loss can benefit you and your family. In America, a hearing impaired individual waits between 5-7 years before getting hearing aids. This is precious time that is lost unnecessarily and can lead to severe strain in personal relationships.

When you get hearing aids, you can easily rule out hearing loss as a cause for interpersonal problems. You can begin working on problem solving skills to help rectify the communication problems that you had been facing. Your speech and hearing capacities will improve and so will the general quality of your life as well as the life of your partner.

Even your work life and earning capacity may improve due to increased productivity at work when you get hearing aids. Your physical health will also be enhanced and you will have a lower risk of sustaining injuries due to falls and accidents. Enjoy your world of sound and become the person you truly are from inside. Don’t wait until it is too late; you and your partner do not need to suffer in silence. With so many benefits of getting hearing aids, it would be imprudent to miss out on the life waiting for you just on the other side of your hearing aids!