What Did You Say? Hearing Loss & Difficulties with Communication

Hearing loss is better understood than ever before, and yet it can still be difficult to recognize the impact hearing loss can have on your ability to communicate. More than just having to ask people to repeat themselves, hearing loss often changes our social behavior in subtle ways. The effects of hearing loss can create a communication barrier even between you and your closest friends and family. The communication problems that hearing loss creates are responsible for an increased risk of mental health issues – especially anxiety, isolation and depression- and can ripple out into many spheres of your life. It’s important to take hearing loss seriously and to notice when it may be derailing us from our familial, social and professional lives. Although most hearing loss is permanent, the good news is most hearing loss can be effectively treated with hearing aids. If you’ve noticed changes to your hearing, don’t delay – set up an appointment for a hearing exam today with us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services.

Anxiety and Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is closely linked to increased anxiety levels. Being unable to hear limits our comprehension of the environment we’re in. In a business meeting not being able to parse the conversation could result in a failed negotiation or misguided project. With family, being unable to hear correctly can lead to missed plans. Loud social environments like parties or restaurants can be disorienting and being unable to separate conversation from background noise can leech the enjoyment out of a conversation. Hearing loss makes our brain work harder to process less information and decode the fragments of sound that are heard. As cognitive processes race to keep up with sound input, anxiety can build up. Increased anxiety can prod us to avoid the connections and conversations we once enjoyed, narrowing the scope of how we express ourselves and how we understand the world.

Isolation and Hearing Loss

The frustration and disorientation that hearing problems provoke can lead down the path to social isolation. The shift can be gradual and hard to detect, but hearing loss often acts as a negative reinforcement, convincing us that social interaction isn’t enjoyable and should be avoided.  When communication becomes difficult, avoidance is often a natural response. Withdrawing because of hearing loss can limit advancement on the job or at school. It can separate us from memorable social events, telephone conversations and our best friends. Even close family ties can be strained especially if hearing loss limits your engagement in family gatherings. When hearing becomes limited, it can severely contract your social world and provoke feelings of being misunderstood.

Depression and Hearing Loss

Depression is the third major mental health issue linked to the communication breakdown that hearing loss encourages. Like with anxiety and isolation, hearing loss can create frustrating feedback loops that feed depression. An erosion of social connection can deplete a personal sense of meaning and purpose in life. Feelings of frustration and confusion can discourage recovery and lead to the impression of being stuck or trapped. The way hearing loss makes our ability to communicate vulnerable weakens our connections to others. The close link hearing loss has to our quality of life is so important, it is crucial to confront the signs of hearing loss when they occur. Dealing with hearing problems when they arise makes it easier for the ear to adapt to treatment and helps prevent damage to our social connections and overall health.

Hidden Hearing Loss

Recently, more attention is being given to “hidden” hearing loss. Hidden hearing loss is most evident when the brain is asked to respond to complicated sonic environments, like a dinner party or a sports game. Because of synapse damage, our hearing may not have the auditory resources to recognize and prioritize distinct sounds in these sorts of settings. When hearing is tested in a simplified environment, such as listening for tones in a quiet room, the hearing loss we demonstrate in a saturated sound space may not be evident.

Visit Us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services

Contact us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services about the full extent of your hearing concerns. With full disclosure of your hearing issues, we can better examine and address your hearing abilities. Treating hearing loss is the best path towards overcoming it, and prevents hearing impairment from compromising your health and relationships. Contact us today for a consultation.