Loneliness is one of the major concerns when it comes to those who have hearing loss. They become disconnected from the rest of society and feel as if they have to deal with this new problem alone. For every decibel decrease in hearing perception, the odds of developing loneliness increases by 7%. To better understand this phenomenon, let’s look at why hearing loss increases feelings of loneliness.
Hearing Loss And Social Health
Before arriving at any hearing solutions, a person losing their hearing will see themselves as “different” from anyone else and choose to isolate themselves. Whether it’s because they don’t want to be seen as a burden or they’re embarrassed about their hearing loss, there is evidence that it can lead to a person not wanting to be around other people as much or engage in any conversations.
However, it’s important to know that there are solutions out there that can both prevent further hearing loss and to minimize those feelings of loneliness. You just have to know to reach out to the right resources to get help.
Treating Hearing Loss Can Treat Loneliness
As hearing loss can increase social isolation and feelings of loneliness, it stands to reason that improving hearing can reduce these feelings. However, this isn’t exactly the case because there hasn’t been enough case studies. On one hand, having a hearing aid can help a person stay connected to those around them. On the other hand, a person can feel even more isolated having to wear a hearing aid, feeling that it still sets them apart from the rest of society.
Some personal experiences, however, have shown that those who have received a hearing aid or a cochlear implant are generally happier to have them than without them.
Hearing Aids Do Help
Hearing aids are quite essential in the hearing loss treatment process. It’s not the only solution, it’s part of the solution. For the person experiencing hearing loss, they can ask those closest to them to make some meaningful adjustments in their interactions to make them easier for the person with hearing loss. These adjustments include:
- Muting the television when speaking so that the hearing loss sufferer can better decipher sounds
- Facing the person when you are speaking with them
- Taking turns when speaking in conversation so as not to confuse the hearing loss sufferer
It’s also important to pay attention to the environment you’re in when having a conversation. If the topic of conversation is important, then it might be more beneficial to move to a different area where it’s much quieter so that both parties can better understand what’s being said.
If you have friends or family with hearing loss, or you’ve started to notice your own hearing is not what it used to be, then it’s important that you speak with a professional as soon as possible. The sooner you seek intervention, the more of your hearing can be saved to prevent total hearing loss. You’ll be thankful that you took the initiative instead of waiting until it was too late.