Fatigue can have a wide variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory conditions like sleep apnea. But many individuals are surprised to learn that chronic fatigue and exhaustion can also be caused by something relatively common: hearing loss.
That’s at least partially due to the fact that hearing loss usually develops slowly over time. You may not immediately detect the symptoms and, as a result, you may feel as though you’re constantly tired for no reason. This experience can be really frustrating. This exhaustion can often turn into irritability which could cause you to socially isolate yourself. Fortunately, your energy levels will usually improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Your brain will compensate for slowly developing hearing loss
Hearing loss is normally a slowly developing condition that gets worse over time. You might not even recognize that you have a hearing impairment at first. Even prevalent symptoms, like turning the volume up on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you aren’t watching for them.
One of the more difficult to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often exhaustion. No matter how much rest you get, you could still feel fatigued. This symptom, unfortunately, isn’t typically associated with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause occurs in your brain. When your ears aren’t getting as much information, your brain works overtime to comprehend it all. In the same way as extended periods of intense concentration can leave you worn out, the additional brain power needed to hear what individuals are saying can be exhausting. Left untreated, this fatigue can get worse over time, affecting your quality of life and your ability to perform daily routine tasks.
Stigma plays a role
So why don’t more individuals just visit a hearing specialist when they start feeling tired? There are several explanations: often people are busy or thinking about other things. But the notion of stigma is another cause which can be even more detrimental. Individuals frequently feel like others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that admitting it will ruin their lives. People will frequently avoid pursuing treatment because of these mistaken ideas.
However, this stigma is starting to fade away as more individuals become open to their hearing loss. It’s becoming a more common understanding that hearing loss can happen to individuals of all ages and today’s hearing aids are discreet enough that the few people who can’t get over this stigma won’t even notice them.
Unfortunately, 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.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss might not have any evident symptoms. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative approaches. For instance, scheduling regular screenings with a hearing specialist before you detect symptoms can help create a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Early treatment will be a lot more effective once 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 break somewhere. Your brain is working extra hard to engage in conversation and brief breaks will make that more sustainable.
- Be 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 a lot easier. This means your brain won’t have to work as hard and you won’t experience the same level of fatigue.
- Try to locate more quiet, isolated spots for conversations: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be difficult to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some instances. 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.
- Schedule a consultation with a hearing specialist: It’s important to keep tabs on your hearing health. Visiting 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.
So if you’re feeling an abnormal 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 reduce your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be neglected.