Good communication is fundamental in any strong relationship, from friends to colleagues to family – and especially in marriages. When communication breaks down, fissures begin to form in the relationship. If you find that communication in your marriage has seen better days, there’s a chance your spouse has hearing loss. Here are five signs.
1. Your spouse appears withdrawn.
You may have noticed that your spouse is less interested in socializing with his friends. Your spouse may be less inclined to accept invitations for parties and events. Perhaps your spouse avoids speaking on the phone to your children and grandchildren. Your spouse no longer participates in the same activities, leagues, teams, or organizations that she once did before. Hearing loss often leads to anxiety, depression, and higher levels of stress, especially in social situations with cross-conversation.
2. Your conversations are short and not as rich as before.
Slowly, your conversations and everyday banter have decreased in length and content. You might find that your spouse mishears words you’ve said and appears confused as you are speaking. With hearing loss, when the brain does not receive clear auditory signals, it overcompensates. As a result, people who experience hearing loss have difficulty with speech recognition. This may result in confusing, jumbled conversations. Conversations may prove particularly difficult in louder spaces, with a lot of background noise, such as a restaurant.
3. Volumes have increased on devices and electronics.
The phone ring is louder than normal. When you turn on the television, sound blasts from the speakers. While you’re in the car, your spouse may increase on the volume on the radio. You may have asked your spouse to turn down the volume, as it hurts your ears, which may have led to a spat. Unfortunately, long exposure to loud noises may cause more damage to your spouse’s hearing, as well as your own.
4. Your spouse asks you to repeat things often.
Words such as “Pardon?” or “What?” have now peppered your conversations. You may find that you are no longer able to talk from different rooms or floors of your home. In a marriage, being heard by your spouse is crucial. You want to know that your spouse is listening to you, processing what you’re saying, thinking about what you’ve communicated, and responding in a thoughtful manner. When you are constantly asked to repeat yourself, you may find yourself frustrated.
5. Your spouse complains that people mumble in conversations.
Whether someone is standing two feet or ten feet away from your spouse, he may complain that people are mumbling. Hearing loss does not only affect the volume at which we hear things; it also affects clarity. Often times, sounds may be muffled, as though there is cotton stuffed in the ears. Additionally, hearing loss affects different frequencies at which we can hear. Your spouse may have difficulty hearing people with higher frequency voices, such as women and children.
If you identify any of these signs in your spouse, perhaps it is time to have an intentional conversation about hearing loss and seeking treatment with your partner. The first step is to schedule a hearing evaluation with an experienced audiologist. If you are in the Las Vegas or Henderson area, give us a call at (702) 605-9133 to schedule a hearing test with our friendly audiologist Dr. Tim Hunsaker.