Fatigue can have a variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory conditions like sleep apnea. But many people are surprised to learn that persistent tiredness and exhaustion can also be due to something relatively common: hearing loss.
In part, that’s because hearing loss can be a gradually-moving, subtle condition. You might find yourself constantly fatigued for no apparent reason because you failed to detect the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. In addition, this exhaustion can frequently lead to irritability and, ultimately, social isolation. Luckily, your energy levels will usually improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Hearing loss progresses gradually (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is normally a slowly developing condition that grows worse over time. You may not even recognize that you have a hearing loss at first. Even prevalent symptoms, like turning the volume up on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them.
One of the harder to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often exhaustion. In spite of how much rest you get, you could still feel exhausted. 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 receiving as much information, your brain works overtime to make sense of it all. This constant extra work is taxing in the same way that extended periods of concentration can take a toll. Your ability to execute daily tasks and your total quality of life can be considerably affected over time as your untreated hearing loss gets worse.
The role of stigma
So why don’t more people just visit a hearing specialist when they begin feeling fatigued? There are several explanations: frequently individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that might ultimately be more detrimental: stigma. People often feel as if others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that admitting it will ruin their lives. People will often avoid seeking treatment because of these false ideas.
However, as more individuals are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has started to fade. Many individuals understand that hearing loss is not some type of social failing, and the very small nature of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around folks who sadly will not let go of this stigma.
It’s unfortunate that this social stigma can make it harder for people to find the care they need because this often results in hearing loss that gets worse over time when it may not need to.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss may not have any evident symptoms. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive strategy, and it’s why many hearing specialists favor preventative approaches. For example, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you notice symptoms can help establish a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Once this baseline is established, early intervention is frequently far more effective.
You can lessen hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. Here are a few of the most common and easiest steps:
- Consult a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the status of your hearing is essential. When hearing loss is in its early stages, your brain doesn’t need to work as hard as it does when the condition gets worse, and a hearing specialist can diagnose hearing loss when it first begins to develop.
- Try to have conversations in quieter areas: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be challenging to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some cases. It will be easier, and less exhausting, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter area.
- Take breaks from conversations: In between conversation, take a quiet rest somewhere. This can help your brain recuperate from all the work it’s doing and make day-to-day communication a little more sustainable.
- Be sure you wear your hearing aids as frequently as you can: One of the main functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations a lot easier. This means you won’t be as fatigued because your brain won’t have to work so hard.
It’s probably time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing exhaustion with no apparent cause. You can reduce your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re concerned about the stigma.