Do you find that you have to ask the people in your life to repeat themselves more than normal? Are you struggling to keep up and to contribute with conversation? There is a good chance you are dealing with the onset of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be exhausting. As you struggle to fill in blanks in what people are saying. It is very common to end the day more tired than usual.
How Hearing Loss Drains our Energy
While hearing loss and fatigue might seem unrelated they are very much connected. Hearing loss will create major barriers in the way your body is able to interpret sound. While our ears pick up sound it is ultimately sent to our brains to process. This is the nature of us comprehending and recognizing the sounds of our world. However when the auditory cortex, which is the part of the brain that interprets sound, has to work with limited information, it forces your brain to work harder than before, causing a new level of exhaustion. Furthermore, the auditory nerve which delivers sound from the inner ear to the brain will struggle to find new pathways to the brain forcing your brain to reorganize its mental energy. When this happens it doesn’t matter how much rest you get or how much caffeine you consume. Hearing loss can just be exhausting!
Higher Risk of Accidents
Your brain is forced to use more of its energy to interpret hearing, taking resources away from other areas of cognitive function like coordination and balance. This is only one way that hearing loss can be dangerous to ignore. When your brain must put less focus towards balance, you are at more risk for falls and accidents. When you are chronically fatigued, you are less aware of compounding your risk of injury while doing normal everyday activities. It is estimated in workplace environments that one in every two people with hearing loss also report experiencing chronic mental or physical fatigue. When compared to fatigue rates of workers with healthy hearing, this number drops to about 30%. In a workplace setting this can become a risk for everyone around you. Untreated hearing loss can deplete your energy much faster, as your brain scrambles all day to process sound with incomplete information, ultimately creating a liability at work. This can put you in a place for less advancement and raises, affecting income significantly.
Mental Health and Exhaustion from Hearing Loss
The side effects of hearing loss compound themselves. Hearing loss exhausts your energy levels. When you have lower energy levels you are less excited to participate in conversation and tend to relationships. This can lead to depression and anxiety as you stress about your lack of connection at work and with the ones you love. Often people choose to self-isolate rather than subject themselves to the tiring job of socializing. When you struggle with hearing loss it is important to stay proactive to keep social and maintain your energy levels.
Strategies to Fight Hearing-Loss Exhaustion
Many have struggled to overcome the side effects of hearing loss fatigue. Certain lifestyle choices will make a world of difference. For many, regular aerobic energy and mid day naps can help get through an exhausting day. Others find that meditation, breathing exercises and yoga help clear their mind giving space for rest and regeneration. Each person is different and it is important to explore your options, until you find forms of regeneration that are best for you.
Deal With Your Hearing Loss
Probably the most important ways that you can combat hearing loss fatigue to make sure that you are treating your hearing loss. The best way to do this is to set up an appointment with us for a hearing evaluation. We can help you diagnose the extent of your hearing loss and help you find the best treatment for your hearing needs.
The most common treatment for hearing loss are hearing aids which amply the world around you so you don’t have to struggle to hear all day long. With the help of hearing aids your brain will no longer be forced to strain to interpret the sounds of your day, allowing you to put all that energy into all of the other parts of your life.