Fatigue can have a variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory problems like sleep apnea. But many people are surprised to find out that persistent fatigue and exhaustion can also be due to something fairly common: hearing loss.
That’s at least partly because of the fact that hearing loss normally progresses slowly over time. You might find yourself constantly 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 often turn into irritability which could cause you to socially seclude yourself. Fortunately, your energy levels will typically improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Hearing loss moves slowly (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is normally a slowly advancing condition that grows worse over time. You may not even recognize that you have a hearing impairment at first. Even prevalent symptoms, like cranking the volume up on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not looking for them.
One of the more difficult to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often fatigue. You might feel tired no matter how much rest you got the night before. Regrettably, many individuals don’t instinctively connect this symptom with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause takes place in your brain. Your brain needs to work overtime to process sound due to the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. This continual extra work is exhausting in the same way that long periods of concentration can take a toll. Left untreated, this fatigue can get worse over time, affecting your quality of life and your ability to complete daily routine activities.
Stigma plays a role
So when individuals start 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 the notion of stigma is another reason 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. All of these things are false, and they prevent many individuals from seeking treatment.
However, this stigma is beginning to fade away as more people become open to their hearing loss. Many individuals understand that hearing loss is not some type of social failing, and the very small nature of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around people who unfortunately will not get over this stigma.
It’s unfortunate that this social stigma can make it harder for individuals to find the care they need because this frequently results in hearing loss that grows worse over time when it might not need to.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
There are often no noticeable symptoms of early stage hearing loss. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive strategy, and it’s why many hearing specialists favor preventative techniques. For instance, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you detect symptoms can help establish a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Once this baseline is established, early intervention is often a lot more effective.
You can minimize hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive measures. Here are a few of the most common and easiest steps:
- Try to have conversations in quieter areas: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be difficult to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some circumstances. Moving conversations to an area with less background noise can make it easier for your brain to focus on the voice you’re attempting to hear, lessening fatigue in the process.
- If you have hearing aids, wear them as often as you can: One of the chief functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations much easier. This means you won’t be as fatigued because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
- Schedule an assessment with 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 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. Your brain is working overtime to engage in conversation and brief breaks will make that more sustainable.
So if you’re dealing with an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no discernible cause, it might be time to schedule a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you minimize your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be untreated.
