How Treating Hearing Loss Can Help Your Relationships

We all understand that communication in relationships is essential, yet many romantic partners struggle with it! People struggle to express their emotions and opinions and then get irritated because their partners do not hear them. Many individuals don't know how to interact with their partners in simple and meaningful ways. People fall short in their communication despite good intentions, and this can derail relationships. 

That's why this Valentine's Day, forget the flowers and chocolate. The best gift you can give your significant other is the gift of communication. But what happens when one person is unable to keep communicating as usual? This is what hearing loss can do to our relationships.

Hearing loss is a common medical condition that can significantly impair interaction that affects all aspects of a person's life. Nearly 1 in 8 people over the age of 12 has a degree of hearing loss in one or both ears, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Hearing damage happens so gradually that it can go unnoticed and untreated for quite a while. This could have disastrous effects on the relationships with the people we love, as suggested by recent studies.

Can hearing loss harm our romantic relationships?

In a 2009 British survey involving 1,500 respondents, 44% said they attributed the hearing loss to issues in their relationships with friends, relatives, spouses, and partners, with 34% saying the issue had gotten so bad that relationships, including some marriages, had ended. 

Another survey from 2007 discovered that 35 percent of respondents said their relationship with their significant other was the most impaired due to hearing loss.

As hearing loss progresses, people with untreated hearing loss notice their relationships breaking down, no matter how hard their significant other tries. They talk about how their partners fail to realize how tiring hearing loss can be. Partners of those with hearing loss report frustration with having to be the ears of their spouse even as they refuse to get their hearing treated. 

The stronger the hearing ability, the stronger the relationship?

The persons with whom we spend the most time are the ones who will feel the most damage from our hearing loss. Relationships are founded on communication - not just routine conversations, but on thousands of small everyday interactions. It's easy to take for granted just how much these little moments add to our feelings of connection with the other person before hearing loss begins to make them difficult. 

Intimacy means being "in tune" with each other. Think back on your current or former relationships, and you might remember the quieter, more subtle moments as being some of the most special. There's a disconnect that can widen overtime when we can't communicate clearly with our partners and loved ones.

We can rekindle this intimacy by treating hearing loss with hearing aids. Both parties tend to report that hearing aids significantly improve the relationship.

Hearing aids and friendship and family relationships.

Untreated hearing loss can also affect our relationships with our friends and family very adversely. Many individuals with untreated hearing loss tend to socially withdraw and prefer not to partake in social activities they used to enjoy. It is simply too much to hold interactions with groups of people in loud environments when hearing loss is untreated. It can lead to anxiety, loneliness, and depression when you are at a social event and cannot hear the conversation.

Today's hearing aids are packed with technology primarily focused on promoting and enjoying interactions with groups of people, including in busy and noisy settings. Hearing aid users are more likely to engage in social events vital to keeping friendships and family relationships alive and safe.

Treatment of your hearing loss has several other advantages. Wearing hearing aids, in addition to better communication, can also lead to improvements in your mental, emotional and physical health. A correlation between hearing treatment and slowing cognitive loss is starting to be identified by researchers.

It all starts with a hearing test!

Treatment starts by making an appointment to have your hearing tested with a hearing healthcare specialist. Hearing tests are a non-invasive procedure that measures the ability to hear in both ears and diagnoses the degree and nature of any hearing loss that you might be experiencing. To schedule an appointment, contact us today!

All About Vestibular Disorders

Keeping your balance is a partnership between the inner ear and the brain. This collaboration is part of the system called the “vestibular.” If this connection becomes harmed, you will experience dizziness, hearing problems, vision problems, nausea, and the inability to keep your balance. 

Quite often, simply trying to make it through the day is nearly impossible. A vestibular disorder can cause other health issues, like short-term memory loss, confusion, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, panic attacks, depression, and anxiety. There is help for people who suffer from this ear disorder. 

Prevalence of Vestibular Disorders

A vestibular disorder is not immediately diagnosed. Patients may visit a balance specialist due to their inability to stand properly and their feeling dizzy. It is estimated that 40% of Americans will seek medical attention for these symptoms. Senior citizens are among the leading patient group with dizziness, ringing in the ear, and balance issues. 

Causes of Vestibular Disorders

Typical causes of a vestibular disorder include:

• Brain injuries like a traumatic brain injury

• Infections

• Inner ear problems

• Medications that affect the inner ear canal

• Semicircular canal problems

Types of Vestibular Disorders

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) 

Vertigo is a common balance disorder. A benign positional vertigo is a short-term disorder that lasts just a few minutes but its onset can be categorized as acute or chronic. Calcium crystals form within the inner ear where they can migrate to the inner ear canal. The ear misinterprets these calcium debris particles and tells the brain to protect itself with dizziness, nausea, and more.

Labyrinthine and Vestibular Neuritis

Labyrinthine infarction balance disorder occurs more commonly in the elderly. Inner ear nerve system and a neurological issue with labyrinthine infarction includes a combined loss of auditory and vestibular function. Does not cause hearing loss but it can last for years.

Vestibular Neuronitis

Vestibular neuronitis comes on suddenly with a bad case of vertigo and sickness. It is associated with respiratory tract infections. It can last for several days until it goes away on its own. 

Cholesteatoma

A cholesteatoma is an inner ear growth that appears behind the eardrum. It is generally caused by infections that occur on the skin of the eardrum. If not treated quickly, it will grow in size and damage the surrounding bones of the middle ear. Symptoms include severe hearing loss, dizziness, and paralysis of facial muscles. 

Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is an inflammatory process caused by a bacterial or viral infection. It is most commonly present with infections like measles and rubella. You become dizzy, nauseas, or a consistent headache. 

Meniere’s Disease

Meniere’s disease is an inner ear vertigo disorder that is accompanied with hearing loss that can worsen in time. Patients further experience nausea and vomiting that can last for several hours

Migraine

Migraine headaches are commonly associated with 30% hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, and nausea. Blurred vision can also be a symptom. 

Mal de Debarquement

Mal de Debarquement sickness makes patients feel like they are moving and rocking back and forth when actually they are standing still. If you like boating or water skiing, Mal de Debarquement or “disembarkment” symptoms may occur after you return to land. Dizziness symptoms appear quickly but only last for a few hours or in severe cases it may last for days. You may or may not feel nauseous, just a rocking movement. 

Pediatric Vestibular Disorders

A small number of children can be affected with this disorder. Symptoms include problems with an intent gaze or seeing clearly with head movement, balance issues, and dizziness.

Symptoms of Vestibular Disorders

Vestibular disorders can include a combination of minor and severe symptoms:

• Anxiety

• Blurred vision

• Diarrhea

• Dizziness

• Fear

• Feeling unsteady or that things are spinning and disoriented

• Nausea

• Rapid heart beat 

• Treating Vestibular Disorders

• Unsteady balance that can cause you to fall or stumble 

• Vomiting

Seeking Treatment for Balance Disorders with Hart Hearing and Balance Centers

If you suspect you may be suffering from a vestibular disorder, please contact us at Hart Hearing and Balance Centers today. With vestibular disorders, we can determine the cause and work with you to customize a treatment plan. Treatments include medications, lifestyle changes, and rehabilitation or balance retraining therapy. Contact us today to learn more!