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 persistent tiredness and exhaustion can also be caused by something relatively common: hearing loss.
To some extent, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You may find yourself continuously exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. Additionally, this exhaustion can frequently result in irritability and, eventually, social isolation. Fortunately, your energy levels will normally increase once you get your hearing loss treated.
Hearing loss progresses slowly (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is normally a gradually progressing condition that gets worse over time. In its early phases, you probably won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. 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 fatigue. You might feel tired no matter how much sleep you got the night before. This symptom, regrettably, isn’t typically associated with hearing loss.
That’s because the cause happens in your brain. Your brain has to work overtime to process sound due to the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. This constant extra work is taxing in the same way that prolonged periods of concentration can take a toll. Left neglected, this fatigue can get worse over time, impacting your quality of life and your ability to perform daily routine tasks.
Stigma plays a role
So why don’t more individuals just go see a hearing specialist when they start feeling tired? There are many explanations: often people are busy or thinking about other things. But the perception of stigma is another reason which can be even more damaging. There’s a feeling that hearing loss is terrible or ruins your life or that there’s nothing you can do about it. People will frequently avoid pursuing treatment because of these false ideas.
However, as more individuals are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has begun to fade. It’s becoming a more common understanding that hearing loss can happen to individuals 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.
It’s a shame that this social stigma can make it harder for people to find the care they need because this often leads to 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 might not have any apparent symptoms. That makes it difficult to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative approaches. Hearing specialists recommend routine screenings in order to establish a baseline of your healthy hearing, that way they will be able to identify changes to your hearing in subsequent screenings. Early treatment will be much more effective once we have identified that baseline.
You can lessen hearing loss associated exhaustion by taking a few proactive measures. Here are a few of the most common and easiest steps:
- Try to have conversations in quieter places: Sorting out 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, lessening fatigue in the process.
- If you use hearing aids, wear them as frequently as possible: One of the primary functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations much easier. This means your brain won’t need to work as hard and you will not experience the same amount of fatigue.
- Schedule an assessment with a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the status of your hearing is important. 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.
- Take breaks from conversations: In between conversation, take a quiet rest somewhere. This can help your brain recover from all the work it’s doing and make everyday communication a little more sustainable.
So if you’re experiencing an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no apparent cause, it may be time to plan a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you reduce your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re afraid of the stigma.