There are a number of possible causes of fatigue, everything from being unable to sleep at night to respiratory issues like sleep apnea. But there is something more common that can also cause fatigue and that’s hearing loss.
In part, that’s because hearing loss can be a slow-moving, subtle condition. You might find yourself constantly fatigued for no apparent reason because you failed to detect the symptoms of early hearing loss. This can be a frustrating experience. In addition, this exhaustion can frequently result in irritability and, eventually, social isolation. The good news is that treating your hearing loss will often improve your energy levels, reducing tiredness and exhaustion.
Hearing loss moves gradually (and your brain compensates)
Hearing loss is normally a gradually advancing condition that gets worse over time. You might not even recognize that you have a hearing impairment at first. Even common symptoms, like cranking up the volume on your TV and smartphone, can be easy to miss if you aren’t watching for them.
Fatigue is one of the most obvious symptoms of hearing loss. No matter how much sleep you get, you could still feel exhausted. Unfortunately, many individuals don’t intuitively connect this symptom with hearing loss.
Because the cause occurs in your brain, the symptoms aren’t generally considered an ear problem. Your brain needs to work extra hard to process sound because of the loss of your ability to hear, which can leave you fatigued. This continual extra work is exhausting in the same way that extended 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 complete daily routine activities.
The role of stigma
So when people start to feel fatigue, why wouldn’t they simply visit a hearing specialist? There are several explanations: often individuals are busy or thinking about other things. But the notion of stigma is another reason which can be even more detrimental. Individuals frequently feel like others will think they’re old if they have hearing loss and that admitting it will ruin their lives. All of these things are untrue, and they prevent many individuals from seeking treatment.
However, as more individuals are open about their hearing loss experience, the stigma has started to fade. It’s becoming a more common understanding that hearing loss can happen to people of all ages and today’s hearing aids are discreet enough that the few people who can’t let go of this stigma won’t even notice them.
It’s unfortunate that this social stigma can make it harder for people to find the care they need because this often leads to hearing loss that grows worse over time when it may not have to.
Treatment options for hearing loss-related fatigue
There are frequently no noticeable symptoms of early stage hearing loss. That makes it challenging to effectively take a reactive approach, and it’s why many hearing specialists favor preventative approaches. Hearing specialists advocate for routine screenings in order to establish a baseline of your healthy hearing, that way they will be able to identify changes to your hearing in later screenings. Once this baseline is established, early intervention is frequently much more effective.
You can minimize hearing loss related exhaustion by taking a few proactive steps. Here are several of the most prevalent and simplest steps:
- Try to locate more quiet, isolated spots for conversations: Distinguishing voices from background noise can be difficult when you have hearing loss (often whether you’re wearing hearing aids or not). It will be easier, and less exhausting, to understand conversations if you move them to a quieter location.
- If you use hearing aids, wear them as frequently as possible: Hearing aids are designed to help you focus on the sounds of human speech, meaning conversation will be substantially easier to make out when you are hearing them. This means your brain won’t need to work as hard and you will not experience the same amount of fatigue.
- Take breaks from conversations: Give yourself some quiet time to rest and refresh in between conversations. This can help your brain recuperate from all the work it’s doing and make day-to-day communication a bit more sustainable.
- Schedule an assessment with a hearing specialist: It’s important to keep tabs on your hearing health. 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 need to work as hard to compensate.
So if you’re feeling an unusual amount of fatigue and tiredness, with no evident cause, it might be time to schedule a visit to your hearing specialist. Treating hearing loss can help you lessen your exhaustion and boost your energy. Don’t neglect your hearing loss because you’re concerned about the stigma.