There are a number of potential causes of fatigue, everything from being unable to sleep at night to respiratory issues like sleep apnea. But many people are surprised to learn that chronic fatigue and exhaustion can also be a result of something relatively common: hearing loss.
That’s at least partially because of the fact that hearing loss normally progresses gradually over time. You may find yourself constantly exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This experience can be quite frustrating. In addition, this exhaustion can often lead to irritability and, eventually, social isolation. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will frequently boost your energy levels, mitigating tiredness and exhaustion.
Your brain will compensate for gradually progressing hearing loss
For most individuals, hearing loss is a very gradually-progressing condition that grows worse over time. In its early phases, you likely won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. If you aren’t specifically watching for them, even conspicuous symptoms, like cranking the volume on your audio devices way up, can be easy to miss.
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 fatigued. Regrettably, many people don’t instinctively associate this symptom 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. Just as extended periods of intense concentration can leave you tired, the additional brain power needed to hear what individuals are saying can be exhausting. Left untreated, this exhaustion can grow worse over time, impacting your quality of life and your ability to complete daily routine activities.
Stigma plays a role
So when people start to feel tired, why wouldn’t they just consult a hearing specialist? One partial reason is that people just don’t associate tiredness with hearing loss. But the perception of stigma is another reason which can be even more detrimental. Individuals frequently feel as if others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that acknowledging it will ruin their lives. Individuals will frequently avoid pursuing treatment because of these false ideas.
However, this stigma is beginning to fade away as more people become open to their hearing loss. It’s becoming a more prevalent understanding that hearing loss can happen to people of all ages and modern hearing aids are discreet enough that the few people who can’t let go of this stigma won’t even notice 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 severe permanent hearing loss.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss might not have any noticeable symptoms. That makes it difficult to effectively take a reactive strategy, 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 once we have determined that baseline.
You can minimize hearing loss related exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. Here are several of the most common and simplest steps:
- Make sure you wear your hearing aids as frequently as you can: Hearing aids are designed to help you focus on the sounds of human speech, meaning conversation will be considerably easier to make out when you are hearing them. This means your brain won’t need to work as hard and you won’t experience the same amount of fatigue.
- Give yourself a break in between conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and recharge in between conversations. This can help your brain recuperate from all the work it’s doing and make everyday communication a bit more sustainable.
- Schedule an assessment with a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the state of your hearing is essential. Consulting 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.
- Try to find more quiet, isolated places for conversations: Distinguishing voices from background noise can be challenging when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re using hearing aids or not). 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, minimizing fatigue in the process.
It’s probably time to make an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing fatigue with no evident cause. You can reduce your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re afraid of the stigma.