Fatigue can have a variety of causes, ranging from a simple sleepless night to respiratory problems such as sleep apnea. But many individuals are surprised to learn that persistent fatigue and exhaustion can also be due to something fairly common: hearing loss.
To some extent, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You may not immediately recognize the symptoms and, as a result, you may feel as if you are constantly tired for no reason. This can be a frustrating experience. Additionally, this exhaustion can frequently result in irritability and, eventually, social isolation. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will frequently boost your energy levels, mitigating fatigue and exhaustion.
Hearing loss progresses gradually (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is usually a slowly progressing condition that gets worse over time. In its early phases, you likely won’t even notice that you’re developing hearing loss. Even common symptoms, like cranking the volume up on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you’re not looking for them.
Fatigue is one of the most noticeable symptoms of hearing loss. You may feel tired no matter how much sleep you got the night before. This symptom, regrettably, isn’t typically associated with hearing loss.
Because the cause occurs 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 fatigued. This continual extra work is taxing in the same way that long periods of concentration can take a toll. Left neglected, this exhaustion can get worse over time, impacting your quality of life and your ability to perform daily routine activities.
The role of stigma
So why don’t more individuals just visit a hearing specialist when they begin feeling fatigued? There are several explanations: often individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But the perception of stigma is another reason which can be even more damaging. There’s a feeling that hearing loss is terrible or ruins your life or that there’s nothing you can do about it. All of these things are untrue, and they stop many individuals from finding treatment.
However, as more people are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has started to fade. Many people understand that hearing loss is not some type of social failing, and the very small construction of modern hearing aids makes them easy to hide around folks who sadly will not let go of this stigma.
Unfortunately, this perception of social stigma can cause people in the early stages of hearing loss to avoid getting the treatment they need resulting in more severe permanent hearing loss.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
The earliest phases of hearing loss may not have any apparent symptoms. That’s why hearing specialists prefer to take a preventative strategy instead of the far more difficult and less effective reactive method. For instance, scheduling routine screenings with a hearing specialist before you notice symptoms can help create a baseline of what your healthy hearing looks like. Once this baseline is established, early intervention is frequently a lot more effective.
If your hearing loss is causing fatigue, there are a few steps you can take to minimize that exhaustion as much as possible. A few of the easiest and most common measures include the following:
- Try to have conversations in quieter spots: When there is a lot of background noise, it can be difficult to sort out voices, even with hearing aids in some circumstances. 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, lessening fatigue in the process.
- Take breaks from conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and refresh in between conversations. Your brain is working extra hard to engage in conversation and brief rests will make that more sustainable.
- Make sure you use your hearing aids as often as you can: One of the chief functions of hearing aids is to clarify human speech, making understanding conversations much easier. This means you won’t be as tired because your brain won’t have to work so hard.
- Consult a hearing specialist: Keeping an eye on the state of your hearing is essential. Seeing a hearing specialist can help you detect hearing loss in its early stages when it’s less of an issue and your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to compensate.
So if you’re dealing with an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no discernible cause, it might be time to schedule a visit to your hearing specialist. You can minimize your fatigue and boost your energy by treating your hearing loss. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re concerned about the stigma.
