When you imagine hearing aids, intimacy most likely isn’t the first thing you consider. We understand. These tiny devices are normally presented in rather concrete terms. Less defined expressions such as poetry, music, and art are more suited to the subject of love.
But you might want to start viewing your hearing aid as an intimacy device due to the strong link between your hearing and your relationship. After all, when doctors, researchers, and hearing specialists talk about “social separation due to hearing loss,” they’re also referencing isolation from your partner. That means maintaining intimate relationships will be just as difficult as trying to communicate with the clerk at the supermarket.
Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t enjoy beautiful relationships and deep emotional bonds. But it will be necessary to put in place some practiced adaptations and take some special care. If you’ve been losing your hearing gradually and over time, you likely haven’t developed those additional skills, as a result, your relationships could suffer.
True intimacy, though, and enhanced personal relationships can come from something as simple as wearing a hearing aid. Here are some ways that hearing aids could have a positive affect on your love life.
Improved communication
It’s no secret that healthy relationships need good communication (though, it is often harder to practice than it is to preach). Everyone will feel more appreciated and valued with strong communication allowing stronger emotional connections and reducing arguments.
But the difficulty becomes even more evident with hearing loss which can seriously interfere with normal communication.
Here’s how a hearing aid will be most helpful:
- Your boosted energy levels will make it simpler to communicate.When you have hearing loss, talking and listening can take a lot of energy, leaving you feeling drained. With a hearing aid, conversing can be fun and energizing once more.
- The quieter, whispered moments won’t get lost. Let’s be truthful, it isn’t pillow talk if you have to yell. You and your partner will enjoy those hushed quiet moments with hearing aids.
Your partner won’t have to be your translator
Going out with a group of friends won’t be all that much fun when your partner spends most of their time repeating everyone for your benefit. Similarly, you won’t have much fun if you’re unable to hear anything that’s happening all night. It’s easy to understand how this arrangement could lead to resentment.
Your independence can be preserved by using hearing aids. Your partner won’t need to order your food at a restaurant or be your translator when you’re having dinner with friends. In addition, it will be easier to continue going out and socializing on your own! You will be able to enrich your relationship by bringing back stories and adventures to share.
Your partner’s needs will be more accessible to you
Your partner’s daily life will be so much easier in so many ways if you’re able to hear more. Maybe, thanks to your hearing aids, you hear the timer go off and come in to help with dinner. Or maybe you hear your partner stumble on the floor and ask if they’re okay. You will have the opportunity to ask your partner what’s wrong if you hear them grumble under their breath.
All of this may not sound like much of a big deal. But these little gestures, taken together, will show your partner that you are compassionate and committed. They show you care. And that will make you a quality partner. A hearing aid makes that a lot easier to achieve because you’ll recognize those sometimes subtle audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
You might have a hard time hearing those breathy whispers shared during intimate moments when you have hearing loss, particularly if it has developed so slowly you didn’t even notice. And part of the fun of being intimate, let’s be truthful, is those subtle, hushed moments. A hearing aid will let you enjoy the power of a whisper again. Which means you’ll be able to enjoy the closeness of your partnership in a more profound way.
Helping Your Relationship
Every issue with your relationship won’t be fixed with a hearing aid, clearly. Nor is it impossible to experience romance with hearing loss. The point here is that a hearing aid will make specific facets of your love life more pleasurable and more enriching.
So if your relationship is a little… dicey… and you’re struggling to find a cause, it may be that your hearing loss is getting in the way of your connections. Schedule an appointment with us, a hearing aid could return welcome intimacy to your love life.
