There are a number of possible causes of fatigue, everything from the inability to sleep at night to respiratory problems like sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also be the cause of tiredness and that’s hearing loss.
That’s at least partly due to the fact that hearing loss normally develops slowly over time. You might not immediately distinguish the symptoms and, as a result, you might feel as if you are constantly tired for no reason. This experience can be very frustrating. This exhaustion can often turn into irritability which could cause you to socially seclude yourself. Fortunately, your energy levels will normally increase once you get your hearing loss treated.
Your brain will compensate for gradually developing hearing loss
Hearing loss is usually a slowly developing condition that gets worse over time. You might not even realize that you have a hearing loss at first. Even common symptoms, like cranking up the volume on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not watching for them.
One of the more difficult to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often fatigue. Regardless of how much rest you get, you could still feel exhausted. Unfortunately, many individuals don’t intuitively link this symptom with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause occurs in your brain. When your ears aren’t receiving as much information, your brain works overtime to comprehend it all. This continual extra work is taxing in the same way that long periods of concentration can take a toll. Your ability to complete daily tasks and your overall quality of life can be considerably affected over time as your untreated hearing loss grows worse.
Stigma plays a role
So why don’t more people just go see a hearing specialist when they begin feeling fatigued? One partial reason is that individuals just don’t associate tiredness with hearing loss. But there’s another reason that may ultimately be more detrimental: stigma. People frequently feel as if others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that acknowledging it will ruin their lives. Individuals will frequently avoid pursuing treatment because of these false notions.
However, as more individuals are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has begun to disappear. It’s becoming a more common understanding that hearing loss can happen to people of all ages and modern hearing aids are small enough that the few people who can’t get over this stigma won’t even see them.
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.
How to manage hearing loss-associated fatigue
There are often no obvious symptoms of early stage hearing loss. That makes it difficult to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists favor preventative approaches. For instance, 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 identified that baseline.
If your hearing loss is causing fatigue, there are a few steps you can take to minimize that exhaustion as much as possible. Here are a few of the most prevalent and simplest steps:
- 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.
- Make sure you use your hearing aids as often 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 tired because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
- Try to have conversations in quieter areas: Sorting out voices from background noise can be challenging when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re wearing hearing aids or not). Moving conversations to a location with less background noise can make it easier for your brain to focus on the voice you’re attempting to hear, minimizing fatigue in the process.
- Consult a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the status of your hearing is important. When hearing loss is in its early phases, your brain doesn’t have to work as hard as it does when the condition worsens, and a hearing specialist can identify hearing loss when it first begins to develop.
It’s most likely time to make an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing exhaustion with no obvious cause. You can lessen your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re afraid of the stigma.
