Tiredness can have a variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory problems like sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also cause tiredness and that’s hearing loss.
In part, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You may find yourself continuously exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to detect the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. This exhaustion can frequently turn into irritability which could cause you to socially seclude yourself. Fortunately, your energy levels will normally improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Your brain will compensate for gradually progressing hearing loss
Hearing loss is usually a gradually advancing condition that gets worse over time. You might not even realize that you have a hearing loss at first. If you aren’t specifically watching for them, even obvious symptoms, like turning the volume on your audio devices way up, can be easy to overlook.
Fatigue is one of the most obvious symptoms of hearing loss. No matter how much sleep you get, you could still feel fatigued. This symptom, unfortunately, isn’t usually associated with hearing loss.
Because the cause happens in your brain, the symptoms aren’t generally considered an ear issue. When your ears aren’t receiving as much information, your brain works harder to comprehend it all. This continual extra work is exhausting in the same way that extended periods of concentration can take a toll. Your ability to complete daily tasks and your general quality of life can be considerably affected over time as your untreated hearing loss gets worse.
The role of stigma
So when individuals start to feel tired, why wouldn’t they simply go see a hearing specialist? There are many explanations: often individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that might inevitably be more detrimental: stigma. People frequently feel as if others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that admitting it will ruin their lives. Individuals will frequently avoid seeking treatment because of these mistaken ideas.
However, this stigma is beginning to fade away as more individuals become open to their hearing loss. Many individuals understand that hearing loss is not some type of social failing, and the very small construction of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around folks who unfortunately will not let go of 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 serious permanent hearing loss.
How to deal with hearing loss-associated fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss might not have any apparent symptoms. That’s why hearing specialists prefer to take a preventative approach instead of the far more difficult and less effective reactive approach. 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. Once this baseline is achieved, early intervention is frequently a lot more effective.
If your hearing loss is causing fatigue, there are a few steps you can take to lessen that exhaustion as much as possible. Some of the simplest and most common steps include the following:
- Make sure you use your hearing aids as frequently as you can: One of the main functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations much easier. This means you won’t be as tired because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
- See a hearing specialist: It’s important to monitor your hearing health. When hearing loss is in its early phases, 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.
- Take breaks from conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and refresh in between conversations. This can help your brain recuperate from all the work it’s doing and make everyday communication a little more sustainable.
- Try to find more quiet, secluded places for conversations: Sorting out voices from background noise can be challenging when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re using hearing aids or not). It will be easier, and less fatiguing, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter place.
So if you’re feeling an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no evident cause, it may be time to schedule a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you reduce your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re concerned about the stigma.