People who have hearing loss experience listening fatigue faster and more often than those who have normal hearing. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to follow conversation if you have hearing loss. Intense focus is needed to pay attention to the person speaking. The brain must try to fill in the missing sounds and make sense of the conversation. The neural pathways slow down as we age, and it takes longer for the speech signal to reach the brain, leaving us half a step behind. If the person you are speaking with is a fast talker, you will be at least a full step behind!
The brain is using more energy to try and make up for missed pieces of conversation leads to increased cognitive load. When in groups you may feel like a bobble head doll trying to look at each person speaking to lip read and fill in the blanks. Some even report headaches after being in these situations.
All of this may lead to stress and avoidance. You may feel irritable and worn out. You might start avoiding situations/environments that you know you will struggle in. This will lead to social isolation and may cause depression. Removing yourself from these environments also removes some brain stimulation, which is important for memory health.
If you have hearing loss, hearing aids can boost missing speech sounds and help you understand conversation with less effort. If you hear the words the first time around you can respond more quickly and accurately. The technology in today’s hearing aids also makes it much easier to communicate in noisy places, again reducing stress.
If you or a loved one has hearing difficulty, call Gardner Audiology today to schedule an appointment for a hearing evaluation at one of our 8 locations. Or schedule online at www.gardneraudiology.com.
