Each case of hearing loss is a little bit different. While roughly 48 million Americans today are dealing with some form of hearing loss, reactions can vary significantly depending on the circumstances of hearing loss and a person’s lifestyle before hearing loss became an issue. Many people report what might be considered “changes in personality” after a significant amount of hearing loss sustained over a long period. In most cases, the progression is so slow that the person may not have noticed a change.
It can be hard to notice either changes in personality or hearing ability in ourselves. In both cases, it is usually another person who points out that something is different. Because hearing loss tends to come on slowly, we start missing certain sounds so gradually that we sometimes don’t notice that hearing loss has made conversation more difficult. Similarly, the changes that hearing loss introduces into our lifestyle and personality come so slowly that we may not notice them, either.
Changes with Early Hearing Loss
The first thing that people tend to notice about hearing loss is a sense of fatigue in larger groups. Hearing loss makes conversation more difficult when background noise is present, so being out socially will often become exhausting as we try to grasp what others are saying. We might shrug this off and move on with our lives, but the next time will be much the same. If hearing loss progresses without treatment, people do tend to shy away from social engagements due to how exhausting and unpleasant they can be when we’re separated from the conversation. As Helen Keller once noted, blindness separates us from things, but hearing loss separates us from people.
Especially for those who are typically socially outgoing, hearing loss can at first seem like a devastating turn of events. Indeed, our personalities will seem to change when the things we love most become more difficult for us. Whether it’s talking with friends and family, enjoying or playing music, watching films or television, attending lectures, or any other activity that we’re used to easily engaging with, once hearing loss becomes an issue, we may feel cut off from a part of ourselves.
Hearing Loss and Stages of Grief
In fact, for many people, the stages of dealing with hearing loss are the same as the stages of grief. We may imagine that our lives are so different from what we expect and appreciate that we actually need to mourn the loss of our former, normal-hearing selves. Denial, isolation and anger are all too often observed by clinicians who can measure hearing loss in patients. Unfortunately, it is even common for people to refuse the use of prescription hearing amplification, which if accepted would be incredibly helpful in allowing them to continue to lead the life they know and love. It has been estimated that people wait an average of seven years from the time they know they have hearing loss to the time they seek hearing aids.
But sometimes, it’s important to allow ourselves to feel depressed; to acknowledge the loss that we feel, so that we can move on to acceptance and get the help we need.
Hearing Aids Can Help!
And help, in the form of hearing aids, has never been better! Rechargeable hearing aids are quickly becoming the norm, and they increasingly integrate via Bluetooth with Apple and Android devices alike to allow media and phone call streaming, as well as to integrate with apps that let you easily set the right programs for the environments you spend time in, and even talk to and receive fitment adjustments from Hearing Wellness Solutions directly over the app. Computer technology has advanced to the point that hearing aids can favor speech over background noise and even automatically adjust programming as you move.
Crystal-clear sound quality and an accurate fitment allow for easy adjustment periods, so you can be living the life you love in no time. Hearing aids are available in a wide variety of styles and types, and there’s one out there for just about every lifestyle and degree of amplification. Choosing the right hearing care options for you is all about personalized service, so whatever is important to you today, there’s a hearing aid option that will help you make it happen!
Hearing Wellness Solutions
Our team at Hearing Wellness Solutions is here to help. If you or a loved one is feeling like hearing loss might be an issue, don’t hesitate to make an appointment for a hearing test today and find out just how great life can be when hearing loss is treated!
