Tiredness can have a variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory conditions such as sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also cause tiredness and that’s hearing loss.
That’s at least partially because of the fact that hearing loss usually progresses gradually over time. You might find yourself continuously exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This experience can be quite frustrating. This fatigue can frequently turn into irritability which could cause you to socially isolate yourself. Fortunately, your energy levels will typically improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Your brain will compensate for slowly developing hearing loss
Hearing loss is typically a gradually developing condition that grows worse over time. In its early stages, you probably won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. If you’re not specifically watching for them, even obvious symptoms, like cranking the volume on your audio devices way up, can be easy to overlook.
One of the harder to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often exhaustion. In spite of how much sleep you get, you could still feel exhausted. This symptom, regrettably, isn’t typically associated with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause happens in your brain. Your brain has to work extra hard to process sound due to the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. This continual extra work is taxing in the same way that long periods of concentration can take a toll. Left neglected, this fatigue can grow worse over time, impacting your quality of life and your ability to perform daily routine activities.
Stigma plays a role
So when individuals begin to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they just go see a hearing specialist? There are many explanations: frequently individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that may ultimately be more detrimental: stigma. There’s a feeling that hearing loss is bad or ruins your life or that there’s nothing you can do about it. All of these things are false, and they stop many people from finding treatment.
However, this stigma is beginning to disappear as more individuals become open to their hearing loss. Many people understand that hearing loss isn’t some kind 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.
Regrettably, this perception of social stigma can cause people in the early stages of hearing loss to put off on getting the treatment they need resulting in more serious permanent hearing loss.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest stages of hearing loss may not have any apparent symptoms. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative techniques. Hearing specialists advocate for regular screenings in order to create a baseline of your healthy hearing, that way they will be able to identify changes to your hearing in later screenings. Early treatment will be a lot more effective once we have identified that baseline.
You can minimize hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive measures. Here are several of the most prevalent and easiest steps:
- 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 cases. Moving conversations to an area with less background noise can make it easier for your brain to focus on the voice you’re trying to hear, minimizing fatigue in the process.
- Schedule an assessment with a hearing specialist: It’s important to monitor your hearing health. When hearing loss is in its early stages, your brain doesn’t need 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.
- Take breaks from conversations: In between conversation, take a quiet break somewhere. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make day-to-day communication a bit more sustainable.
- If you have hearing aids, wear them as frequently as possible: Hearing aids are manufactured to help you focus on the sounds of human speech, meaning conversation will be considerably easier to make out when you are hearing them. This means you won’t be as fatigued because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
It’s most likely time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing exhaustion with no evident cause. Treating hearing loss can help you minimize your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re afraid of the stigma.