There are numerous potential causes of tiredness, everything from not being able to sleep at night to respiratory problems like sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also be the cause of tiredness and that’s hearing loss.
In part, that’s because hearing loss can be a gradually-moving, subtle condition. You might find yourself constantly exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. This fatigue can often turn into irritability which could cause you to socially isolate yourself. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will frequently boost your energy levels, mitigating tiredness and exhaustion.
Hearing loss moves gradually (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is normally a gradually advancing condition that gets worse over time. You may not even recognize that you have a hearing loss at first. 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.
Fatigue is one of the most noticeable symptoms of hearing loss. You might feel tired no matter how much sleep you got the night before. This symptom, regrettably, isn’t usually associated with hearing loss.
Because the cause happens in your brain, the symptoms aren’t generally considered an ear problem. Your brain needs to work extra hard to process sound due to the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. Just as prolonged periods of intense concentration can leave you worn out, the additional brain power required to hear what individuals are saying can be exhausting. Left untreated, this fatigue can grow worse over time, impacting your quality of life and your ability to execute daily routine tasks.
Stigma plays a role
So when people begin to feel tired, why wouldn’t they simply go see a hearing specialist? There are many explanations: frequently people are busy or thinking about other things. But there’s another reason that may ultimately be more damaging: stigma. People often feel as if others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that acknowledging it will ruin their lives. Individuals will often avoid pursuing treatment because of these false notions.
However, as more people are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has begun to disappear. Many individuals understand that hearing loss isn’t some kind of social failing, and the very small construction of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around people who unfortunately will not let go of this stigma.
It’s a shame that this social stigma can make it more difficult for individuals to find the care they need because this often results in hearing loss that gets worse over time when it might not need to.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss may not have any evident symptoms. That’s why hearing specialists favor taking a preventative strategy rather than the far more difficult and less effective reactive method. Hearing specialists recommend regular screenings in order to establish a baseline of your healthy hearing, that way they will be able to identify changes to your hearing in later screenings. Once this baseline is achieved, early intervention is frequently much more effective.
You can minimize hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. Here are a few of the most prevalent and easiest steps:
- See a hearing specialist: It’s important to monitor your hearing health. Visiting a hearing specialist can help you detect 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.
- Make sure you use your hearing aids as often as you can: One of the main functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations a lot easier. This means your brain won’t have to work as hard and you won’t experience the same degree of fatigue.
- Give yourself a break in between conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and recharge in between conversations. Your brain is working extra hard to take part in conversation and brief rests will make that 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 using hearing aids or not). Moving conversations to a location 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.
So if you’re feeling an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no discernible cause, it may be time to schedule a visit to your hearing specialist. You can reduce your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be untreated.