Tiredness can have a wide variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory conditions such as sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also cause fatigue and that’s hearing loss.
That’s at least partly due to the fact that hearing loss normally progresses gradually over time. You may not immediately detect the symptoms and, as a result, you may feel as if you’re constantly tired for no reason. This experience can be very frustrating. Additionally, this exhaustion can frequently lead to irritability and, ultimately, social isolation. Fortunately, your energy levels will normally improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Hearing loss progresses gradually (and your brain compensates)
For the majority of individuals, hearing loss is a very gradually-progressing condition that gets worse over time. You might not even realize that you have a hearing impairment at first. If you aren’t specifically watching for them, even obvious symptoms, like turning the volume on your audio devices way up, can be easy to miss.
Fatigue is one of the most obvious symptoms of hearing loss. You might feel tired no matter how much sleep you got the night before. Regrettably, many people don’t instinctively link this symptom with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause occurs in your brain. When your ears aren’t receiving as much information, your brain works harder to comprehend it all. This continual extra work is exhausting in the same way that prolonged periods of concentration can take a toll. Your ability to perform daily tasks and your general quality of life can be considerably affected over time as your neglected hearing loss grows worse.
Stigma plays a role
So why don’t more individuals just consult a hearing specialist when they begin feeling tired? There are several explanations: often individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that might ultimately be more damaging: stigma. There’s an impression that hearing loss is bad or ruins your life or that there’s nothing you can do about it. All of these things are untrue, and they prevent many individuals from finding treatment.
However, this stigma is starting to fade away as more individuals become open to their hearing loss. Many people understand that hearing loss isn’t some kind 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.
Regrettably, 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 severe permanent hearing loss.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
There are frequently no noticeable symptoms of early stage hearing loss. That makes it difficult to effectively take a reactive strategy, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative approaches. For example, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you notice symptoms can help create a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Early treatment will be much more effective after we have determined that baseline.
If your hearing loss is causing fatigue, there are some steps you can take to lessen that exhaustion as much as possible. Here are several of the most common and simplest steps:
- Consult a hearing specialist: It’s important to keep tabs on your hearing health. Seeing a hearing specialist can help you identify 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.
- Give yourself a rest in between conversations: In between conversation, take a quiet break somewhere. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make day-to-day communication a little more sustainable.
- Try to have conversations in quieter spots: Distinguishing voices from background noise can be challenging when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re using hearing aids or not). It will be easier, and less fatiguing, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter location.
- Make 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 a lot easier. This means you won’t be as tired because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
It’s most likely time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing exhaustion with no obvious cause. You can minimize your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re afraid of the stigma.