How Hearing Loss Impacts Communication

The pandemic has caused many people to feel isolated over the past two years, wreaking havoc on mental health across the globe.

Imagine if you felt that isolation day in and day out, no matter what is going on in the world. That’s exactly how those affected by hearing loss often feel. When individuals struggle to hear conversations around them, it can harm their relationships and mental health.

The frustrations caused by hearing loss can often be overlooked by those without hearing loss, which is why friends and family need to be aware of how hearing loss impacts communication. To help bridge the gap between hearing loss and those without, El Dorado Hearing shares some of the common frustrations experienced by those with hearing loss.

Social withdrawal

Hearing loss can make it difficult for a person to decipher conversations, especially if they can’t pull out any context clues. It can be especially difficult in loud or noisy environments, such as being outdoors or at a bar or restaurant with lots of background noise.

Even if they wear hearing aids, the hearing aids tend to amplify the background noise, making it nearly impossible to distinguish what is being said around them. When this happens, you may notice this individual pulling back from participating in conversations — or avoiding putting themselves in social situations altogether.

They may become embarrassed of constantly asking people to repeat themselves, and to avoid this, they start declining invitations for social gatherings with family and friends.

Depression

Hearing loss can cause individuals to withdraw from social engagements, and they run a greater risk of experiencing depression. The hindrance to their ability to communicate confidently and effectively with the world around them leaves them feeling disconnected.

As an observer, they may feel as if they can’t contribute to the conversation or notice a strain on their relationships. This negative impact on their communication and relationships can have a negative effect on their mental state, resulting in depression. If the individual falls into a depression, it may become even more difficult for them to find the motivation to communicate with others.

Relationships

One of the leading causes of trouble in a relationship is miscommunication. If someone in the relationship suffers from hearing loss, that relationship is even more likely to experience miscommunication. Both partners need to be willing to put in the extra effort and time to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation.

If the communication between partners breaks down or is misconstrued, the relationship’s health is likely to suffer. This miscommunication, or lack of communication, may seep into the physical side of the relationship since the partners may feel distant or as though they aren’t connecting. Over time, this added strain can cause it to break down.

Improve communication with hearing aids

If you or your loved one are struggling to hear in everyday situations, it could be having more of an impact on your mental health than you realize. The first step to addressing the problem is to schedule a diagnostic hearing evaluation with a hearing specialist to determine the problem and provide the best treatment plan to improve the patient’s hearing.

In many cases, your hearing specialist will recommend hearing aids to help amplify sounds — enabling them to communicate with you more effectively.

If you’re experiencing hearing loss, the skilled audiologists at El Dorado Hearing can perform a diagnostic evaluation and provide the recommended treatment and hearing devices. Contact our experienced team to schedule your hearing evaluation.