There are numerous potential causes of fatigue, everything from being unable to sleep at night to respiratory problems like sleep apnea. But many individuals are surprised to learn that persistent fatigue and exhaustion can also be a result of something fairly common: hearing loss.
To some extent, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You may find yourself constantly exhausted for no apparent reason because you failed to recognize the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. This fatigue can frequently turn into irritability which could cause you to socially isolate yourself. Fortunately, your energy levels will usually improve once you get your hearing loss treated.
Hearing loss progresses slowly (and your brain compensates)
For the majority of individuals, hearing loss is a very slow-moving condition that grows worse over time. In its early phases, you probably won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. If you aren’t specifically watching for them, even conspicuous symptoms, like turning the volume on your audio devices way up, can be easy to miss.
One of the harder to miss symptoms of hearing loss is often exhaustion. You may feel tired no matter how much sleep you got the night before. Unfortunately, many people don’t intuitively associate this symptom with hearing loss.
Because the cause happens in your brain, the symptoms aren’t usually considered an ear issue. Your brain has to work overtime to process sound because of the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you exhausted. Just as prolonged periods of intense concentration can leave you tired, the additional brain power required to hear what individuals are saying can be exhausting. Your ability to perform daily tasks and your total quality of life can be significantly affected over time as your untreated hearing loss grows worse.
The role of stigma
So when individuals start to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they simply go see a hearing specialist? There are several explanations: often people are busy or thinking about other things. But the perception of stigma is another cause which can be even more damaging. There’s an impression that hearing loss is terrible or ruins your life or that there’s nothing that can be done about it. Individuals will frequently avoid seeking treatment because of these mistaken notions.
However, as more individuals are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has started to disappear. It’s becoming a more prevalent understanding that hearing loss can happen to people of all ages and today’s hearing aids are small enough that the few people who can’t let go of this stigma won’t even see them.
Unfortunately, this perception of social stigma can cause people in the early stages of hearing loss to put off on getting the treatment they need resulting in more serious permanent hearing loss.
Solutions for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest stages of hearing loss might not have any apparent symptoms. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists prefer preventative techniques. For instance, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you detect symptoms can help create a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Early treatment will be a lot more effective once we have identified that baseline.
You can lessen hearing loss related exhaustion by taking a few proactive measures. Here are a few of the most common and simplest steps:
- If you use hearing aids, wear them as often as you can: One of the chief functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations a lot easier. This means you won’t be as tired because your brain won’t need to work so hard.
- Try to have conversations in quieter areas: Distinguishing voices from background noise can be difficult when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re wearing hearing aids or not). Moving conversations to an area with less background noise can make it easier for your brain to focus on the voice you’re attempting to hear, reducing fatigue in the process.
- Consult a hearing specialist: It’s important to monitor your hearing health. When hearing loss is in its early phases, your brain doesn’t have to work as hard as it does when the condition worsens, and a hearing specialist can identify hearing loss when it first begins to develop.
- Give yourself a break in between 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 bit more sustainable.
So if you’re dealing with an abnormal amount of exhaustion and tiredness, with no evident cause, it might be time to plan a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you lessen your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t let stigma cause your hearing loss to continue to be untreated.
