According to the World Health Organization, about 5% of all adults worldwide have some level of hearing loss. The organization also estimates that about a billion young adults are at risk of hearing loss and will need hearing rehabilitation in the coming years. Hearing loss affects different parts of a person’s life, with one area that suffers the most being personal, familial, and professional relationships.
Even though the statistics look dire, we have made great strides in giving those with hearing loss some reprieve. Hearing aids have been one of the most important technological advancements in the past few decades, with these devices improving and providing more capabilities as the technology behind them matures and evolves.
Those who use them have seen tremendous improvements in their relationships, and this article will look at how exactly this happens.
The Hidden Impact of Hearing Loss on Relationships
Before looking at the positives, we should first understand the effects of hearing loss on relationships. Perhaps the most important is the strain it puts on relationships through a breakdown in communication and understanding.
Communication remains one of the most crucial pillars for healthy and thriving relationships. Many qualitative studies of couples show that hearing loss and subsequent communication issues can lead to embarrassment, frustration, and distress.
Additionally, hearing loss can rob relationships of the spontaneity many require to thrive. This has been proven by partners of hearing-impaired persons who say they find it difficult to share things happening in the moment. The condition also impacts the ability to share observations and engage in small talk, additional features of healthy relationships.
Hearing loss can also lead to feelings of isolation. People with hearing loss or impairment might feel left out of conversations and activities. Constantly being left out can lead some people to withdraw, which leads to further erosion of relationships.
One of the worst things that can happen in a relationship is one partner experiencing hearing loss without realizing it. Couples who start experiencing communication difficulties that they suspect could be due to hearing loss should go for a check-up. If an audiologist discovers they have hearing loss, they can check out the different hearing aids available at www.phonak.com/en-us/hearing-devices/hearing-aids. The range of hearing aids and accessories available means people can find whichever hearing aids suit them regardless of the type or level of hearing loss they are experiencing.
Hearing Aids Play a Role in Rebuilding Intimate Relationships
Hearing aids can also help partners rebuild the communications that were eroded or non-existent before due to hearing loss or impairment. They can also reduce the frustration that comes with constant repetition. While an understanding partner might not have an issue repeating themselves early in the relationship, or when their partner first starts experiencing hearing loss, they might become frustrated down the line from the repetition, putting a strain on the relationship.
By removing this need for repetition and the frustration that follows it, hearing aids can play a crucial role in helping couples rebuild an intimate relationship.
Lastly, they can help couples pick up on subtle tones and emotions. Anyone who understands how language works knows the words we use are not the only thing that determines what people hear and how they perceive the information we are passing on.
We are highly attuned to emotions, tones, afflictions, and other language features that all combine to form the basis of speech. Not being able to perceive all of these due to hearing loss can, again, strain relationships.
A partner who is not as understanding as they should be might think their partner is ignoring them, not hearing them, or not being attentive enough to cater to their needs. Hearing aids can solve all these issues.
They Can Help Couples Enjoy Shared Experiences and Activities
Some of the things couples do together, like watch movies, watch theater shows, play games, and more, can be difficult to enjoy if one partner has hearing loss. Even if they can participate, they might still not enjoy the activities as much as they would if they could have a full experience that includes the sounds associated with them.
Additionally, couples where one person has a hearing impairment might be unable to participate in group activities. At least not without struggling or making major concessions.
Hearing aids open up a world in which such couples can enjoy all activities together. The world has become more attuned to the needs of the hearing impaired, and this is especially true for those who use hearing aids.
Now, many concert halls, movie theaters, airplanes, and other places where sound is important provide provisions for connecting hearing aids to sound sources. By doing this, the organizations behind these places and activities create a more inclusive world for those who use hearing aids.
The Effect on Professional Relationships
Hearing aids can also improve professional relationships and have a positive career impact. The most significant way they can do both is by improving workplace communication. People using hearing aids can better understand what is going on in meetings and presentations. For this reason, they can communicate with other colleagues better about their roles and tasks, which is especially important in an environment that requires close collaboration.
Hearing aids can also increase job satisfaction and performance. No one wants to work with someone who is always frustrated about their job and the tasks they should be handling. This can often happen with people with hearing loss or impairment because they might not find satisfaction in their jobs due to being unable to understand or handle specific aspects of it.
Hearing aids become crucial in this situation, with the added effect of reducing the stresses associated with communication challenges. Another benefit is more confident interactions with clients and customers.
Studies show confident people are more likely to be assertive and progress in their careers. Hearing aids level the field and ensure those with any form or level of hearing loss have the confidence to compete with those without the condition.
Hearing aids are one of the most important advancements in the medical field. They open up the world for those with hearing impairment or loss, helping them thrive in ways they could not or would find difficult without them. Crucially, these tools and accessories can play a significant role in helping build and maintain personal and professional relations.
