There are a number of possible causes of fatigue, everything from being unable to sleep at night to respiratory issues like sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also cause tiredness and that’s hearing loss.
That’s at least partly due to the fact that hearing loss normally develops slowly over time. You may not immediately recognize the symptoms and, as a result, you might feel as though you are constantly tired for no reason. This can be a frustrating experience. Additionally, this exhaustion can often result in irritability and, eventually, social isolation. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will frequently improve your energy levels, reducing fatigue and exhaustion.
Your brain will compensate for gradually developing hearing loss
For the majority of individuals, hearing loss is a very gradually-progressing condition that grows worse over time. In its early phases, you probably won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. Even prevalent symptoms, like cranking up the volume on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not watching for them.
One of the more difficult to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often fatigue. No matter how much rest you get, you could still feel exhausted. Regrettably, many individuals don’t instinctively connect this symptom with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause takes place in your brain. When your ears aren’t getting as much information, your brain works harder to make sense of it all. In the same way as prolonged periods of intense concentration can leave you worn out, the additional brain power required to hear what people are saying can be exhausting. Your ability to perform daily tasks and your total quality of life can be substantially impacted over time as your neglected hearing loss gets worse.
Stigma plays a role
So why don’t more individuals just consult a hearing specialist when they start feeling fatigued? One partial reason is that people just don’t connect fatigue with hearing loss. But there’s another reason that might inevitably be more damaging: stigma. Individuals frequently feel like others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that acknowledging it will ruin their lives. All of these things are false, and they prevent many people from seeking treatment.
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 people of all ages and today’s hearing aids are discreet enough that the few people who can’t let go of this stigma won’t even see them.
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 leading to more serious permanent hearing loss.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
There are often no noticeable symptoms of early phase hearing loss. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive strategy, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative techniques. For example, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you notice symptoms can help establish a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Once this baseline is achieved, early intervention is frequently far more effective.
You can minimize hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive measures. Some of the simplest and most common measures include the following:
- Take breaks from conversations: In between conversation, take a quiet rest somewhere. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make everyday communication a little more sustainable.
- Try to have conversations in quieter spots: Distinguishing voices from background noise can be difficult when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re wearing hearing aids or not). It will be easier, and less exhausting, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter place.
- Be sure you wear your hearing aids as frequently as you can: One of the primary 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.
- Schedule an assessment with a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the state 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 gets worse, and a hearing specialist can diagnose hearing loss when it first begins to develop.
So if you’re experiencing an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no apparent cause, it might be time to plan 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 neglected.