Fatigue can have a wide range of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory conditions such as sleep apnea. But many individuals are surprised to find out that chronic fatigue and exhaustion can also be caused by something relatively common: hearing loss.
In part, that’s because hearing loss can be a gradually-moving, subtle condition. You might not immediately distinguish the symptoms and, as a result, you might feel as if you are constantly tired for no reason. This experience can be quite frustrating. In addition, this exhaustion can often result in irritability and, eventually, social isolation. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will frequently boost your energy levels, reducing fatigue and exhaustion.
Hearing loss progresses gradually (and your brain compensates)
For most individuals, hearing loss is a very slow-moving condition that gets worse over time. You may not even recognize that you have a hearing loss at first. Even common symptoms, like cranking the volume up on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you aren’t looking for them.
One of the more difficult to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often exhaustion. In spite of how much rest you get, you could still feel exhausted. This symptom, regrettably, isn’t usually associated with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause happens in your brain. When your ears aren’t getting as much information, your brain works harder to make sense of it all. This continual extra work is taxing in the same way that extended periods of concentration can take a toll. Your ability to execute daily tasks and your total quality of life can be substantially affected over time as your untreated hearing loss grows worse.
The role of stigma
So when people begin to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they just consult a hearing specialist? There are several explanations: frequently individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that may inevitably be more damaging: stigma. There’s a feeling that hearing loss is terrible or ruins your life or that there’s nothing that can be done about it. People will often avoid seeking treatment because of these mistaken ideas.
However, this stigma is starting to disappear as more individuals become open to their hearing loss. It’s becoming a more prevalent 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.
It’s a shame that this social stigma can make it harder for individuals to find the care they need because this often results in hearing loss that grows worse over time when it may not need to.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss may not have any noticeable symptoms. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative techniques. Hearing specialists advocate for regular screenings in order to establish a baseline of your healthy hearing, that way they will be capable of identifying changes to your hearing in subsequent screenings. Early treatment will be a lot more effective after we have determined that baseline.
If your hearing loss is causing fatigue, there are some steps you can take to minimize that exhaustion as much as possible. Some of the easiest and most common measures include the following:
- Be certain you wear your hearing aids 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 have to work so hard.
- Try to have conversations in quieter spots: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be difficult to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some cases. It will be easier, and less exhausting, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter location.
- Give yourself a rest in between conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and recharge in between conversations. Your brain is working extra hard to participate in conversation and brief breaks will make that more sustainable.
- Schedule a consultation with a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the status of your hearing is important. Visiting a hearing specialist can help you identify hearing loss in its early stages when it’s less of an issue and your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to compensate.
It’s most likely time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing fatigue with no apparent cause. You can minimize your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be untreated.
