Hearing Loss & Fatigue

With the weather getting cooler, it’s common to feel run down. Colds and flus are on the upswing, as more and more people are returning to in person work and educational settings again. It’s important to drink lots of water and eat nourishing foods, however if you still feel chronically tired, it could lead to something else.

This time of year challenges our health on multiple levels. While many look forward to the holidays, others may feel overwhelmed by the social demands. The Holidays are coming up and it is a great time for many to connect to family, chosen or by blood. However, if you are feeling worn out by the last big gathering, it could mean more than just social fatigue. It could point to an undiagnosed hearing loss.

Hearing Loss in the US

Hearing loss affect one in eight people (30 million) in the United States in both ears, based on standard examinations. It’s a condition, commonly associated with older adults, however, it can affect people of all ages. If you find that you are struggling to connect to the people in your life, it often notes a hearing loss. Hearing loss can occur due to exposure to loud noise from headphones, at work or during recreation as well as due to certain medications, impact to the head, infection, and chronic health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.

Undiagnosed and Undertreated

The biggest issue is that while hearing loss is widespread, it is often undiagnosed and unaddressed. Hearing loss develops slowly, often over years, removing the ability to perceive parts of words or sentences. This means that even if you aren’t aware of a hearing loss, it’s still affecting your ability to connect to others on a daily basis. This can add up to fatigue during family gatherings, at restaurants, parties, bars, nightclubs and more. What used to be regenerative social time can quickly escalate into stressful and exhausting situations. People who are normal social can often turn into reclusive- which has an increased devastating impact on mental health.

Hearing Loss and Anxiety

Anxiety is on the rise in the United States, affecting around 19 percent of the population. No one knows exactly why the rates are so high though many attribute it to

social media or poor sleep habits. Experts believe that another cause for many could be unaddressed hearing loss.

Conversations, which used to be uplifting turn into sources of contention as you worry that you may miss what people are saying. You may mishear, leading to misunderstandings and confusion in the workplace, amongst friends and even family. As a result, it can be painful to attempt to connect to those in your life. Anxiety of this nature can cause someone with hearing loss to get locked in an ongoing state of hyper-vigilance with elevated adrenaline levels. Overproduction of this stimulant can wreak havoc on the nervous system, causing burnout and exhaustion on a daily basis.

Identifying Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is hard to self-diagnose. However, listening fatigue is often one of the earliest symptoms. While we collect sound with our ears, the sounds must reach our brain to process and follow speech and sounds. The transfer of sound is controlled by tiny hair-like cells called stereocilia. These tiny fragile cells are susceptible to damage all too easily. When this occurs, the brain is forced to fill in the missing spots in sound. This can be incredibly exhausting.

Addressing Hearing Loss

Are you tired of being tired, from struggling to hear? We are here to help! The most common treatment for hearing loss is hearing aids. These amazing devices amplify sounds around that you struggle to hear, based on your latest hearing exam. This can relive the stress, anxiety, and fatigue you may have come to expect as your normal. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that with hearing aids, social interactions don’t leave you feeling drained like they did before. Are you ready to discover what hearing aids can do for you? Contact us today, to set up a hearing exam. We can get to the bottom of your hearing ability and find the best solution to support your hearing for years to come.