Tiredness can have a variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory conditions like sleep apnea. But many individuals are surprised to find out that persistent fatigue and exhaustion can also be a result of something relatively common: hearing loss.
That’s at least partly because of the fact that hearing loss usually progresses slowly over time. You might find yourself constantly exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. This fatigue can frequently turn into irritability which could cause you to socially seclude yourself. Luckily, your energy levels will typically increase once you get your hearing loss treated.
Your brain will compensate for slowly developing hearing loss
For most people, hearing loss is a very gradually-progressing condition that grows worse over time. You may not even recognize that you have a hearing loss at first. Even prevalent symptoms, like cranking the volume up on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not watching for them.
Exhaustion is one of the most obvious symptoms of hearing loss. You may feel depleted no matter how much rest you got the night before. Unfortunately, many people don’t instinctively link this symptom with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause takes place in your brain. Your brain has to work extra hard to process sound because of the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. In the same way as extended periods of intense concentration can leave you tired, the extra brain power needed to hear what people are saying can be exhausting. Left neglected, this fatigue can get worse over time, impacting your quality of life and your ability to perform daily routine tasks.
The role of stigma
So when individuals begin to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they simply consult a hearing specialist? There are several explanations: often individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that may ultimately be more detrimental: stigma. There’s an impression that hearing loss is bad or ruins your life or that there’s nothing that can be done about it. Individuals will often avoid seeking treatment because of these mistaken notions.
However, this stigma is beginning to disappear as more people become open to their hearing loss. Many individuals understand that hearing loss isn’t some type of social failing, and the very small construction of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around folks who sadly will not get over this stigma.
Regrettably, this perception of social stigma can cause individuals in the early stages of hearing loss to avoid getting the treatment they need leading to more severe permanent hearing loss.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
There are often no noticeable symptoms of early phase hearing loss. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive strategy, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative approaches. For example, scheduling regular screenings with a hearing specialist before you notice symptoms can help create a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Early treatment will be much more effective after we have determined that baseline.
You can lessen hearing loss related exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. Some of the simplest and most common measures include the following:
- Make sure you use your hearing aids as frequently as you can: Hearing aids are manufactured to help you focus on the sounds of human speech, meaning conversation will be significantly easier to make out when you are hearing them. This means you won’t be as tired because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
- Consult a hearing specialist: It’s important to monitor your hearing health. Consulting a hearing specialist can help you detect hearing loss in its early stages when it’s less of a problem and your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to compensate.
- Take breaks from conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and recharge in between conversations. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make day-to-day communication a bit more sustainable.
- Try to have conversations in quieter places: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be challenging to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some circumstances. It will be easier, and less tiring, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter location.
So if you’re experiencing an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no evident cause, it might be time to plan a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you minimize your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be neglected.
