How Untreated Hearing Loss Impacts Relationships

About 20% of Americans experience some form of hearing loss. Hearing loss can have an array of consequences depending on its severity. The most common experience is the inability to understand other people, especially in noisy environments. 

As a result, it impacts how you interact at work, school and with your friends and family. The untreated hearing loss has both health and social impacts, including:

• Increased stress
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Frustration
• Fatigue
• Muscle tension
• Social withdrawal

Hearing impairments can also affect relationships and everyday interactions. So, how does it impact relationships?

Poor Communication

Good communication is a crucial part of all relationships and healthy partnerships. Talking to each other creates a strong bond, and it becomes easy to solve issues. However, hearing loss makes it hard to have meaningful interactions. 

When communication is lost, misunderstanding and frustrations set in, crippling the relationship. It creates a sense of resentment, isolation and loneliness for both partners. The person experiencing hearing loss might think they’re being misunderstood: while the other party might feel ignored. 

Both partners tend to blame each other. 

Negative Emotions Set In 

Lost communication can also lead to negative emotions. When partners feel ignored or misunderstood, it leads to a cascade of frustrations and loneliness. 

The hearing partner feels like they’re missing out on a good companionship. There is also a decrease in shared activities like playing and watching movies. The reduction of intimate talks or joking with families can lead to a boring life. 

Strained Communication 

People with hearing loss consider their partners as their support system. However, this might not be the case. Being humans, one can get tired of translating all the time. For instance, it can be frustrating to explain to a partner the episodes in a movie continuously. 

Having small talks like intimacy can also be strained by untreated hearing loss. Sharing humor and jokes can build strong companionship. That’s why you should not delay getting treatment for your hearing loss issues. 

What You Can Do

If you're experiencing hearing loss symptoms, seek help from the audiologist. Accept your situation and let people around you know about the situation. This way, there will be reduced miscommunication. 

Educate yourself about hearing loss and the reasons you should treat it. Get tested to know the level of severity and the best remedy. Fortunately, a hearing test is easy, quick and painless. 

Exercise Compassion 

Develop compassion for yourself or your partner who is experiencing tinnitus or hearing loss. Consider how your untreated hearing loss has rubbed off on friends, family or partners. Offering help to a partner who has hearing loss is a good gesture. Allow your partner to turn up the volume and interpret missed messages. 

Seek Professional Help

If you or your loved one is experiencing hearing loss, ensure you seek professional help as early as possible. Don’t let the stigma hold you. By following the treatment procedure, your relationship can blossom again. Treated hearing loss can enhance your social engagement and boost your communication. After months of frustration, your lives could change overnight. 

You can enjoy movie theaters, loud restaurants, parties and concerts together.