Feeling mentally drained is a common symptom among people with hearing loss. We refer to the phenomenon as listening fatigue.
Why Does Hearing Loss Cause Listening Fatigue?
An estimated 15% of U.S. adults have hearing loss.[1] When you have hearing loss, your brain has to work a little harder to understand speech. Over the course of a day, that extra work can leave you feeling mentally drained. Listening fatigue can manifest in a few ways:
- Difficulty staying focused on conversations
- Trouble remembering details from conversations
- Head, neck or shoulder tension
- Skipping social events
Hearing fatigue is no fun, but you can minimize it by using effective communication strategies and wearing hearing aids.
Communication Strategies that Ease Conversation Effort
Communication strategies make it easier to keep up during a conversation. Try the following tips:
- Look for quiet places to talk. Your house, local coffee shops and even picnics at Parkview Family Park all offer easier conversation environments.
- Keep good sightlines. Aim for well-lit environments and ensure you’re talking face-to-face as much as possible. Using video calls instead of phone calls is a great way to minimize fatigue during work meetings.
- Use rephrasing. When you don’t understand someone, ask them to rephrase themselves or add context instead of just repeating.
- Sit strategically. Sitting in the center of a group, where you can see the most people at once, will help minimize listening effort.
The Benefits of Hearing Aids
Hearing aids amplify speech to help you navigate conversations with less effort. When you aren’t straining so much, you can preserve your energy for doing things you enjoy!
Keeping your hearing aids well-functioning will ensure they work their best for you. Our device specialists at Ear, Nose and Throat Associates can deep clean your hearing aids and check their programming to ensure they’re still meeting your needs. If it’s been more than six months since your last device service, call us today to schedule an appointment.
[1] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024). Quick statistics about hearing, balance, & dizziness. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing [nidcd.nih.gov]