How Hearing Loss Interferes with Your Relationships
Social interactions are inherent to so much of daily life in the busy world in which we live. Work, concerts, sporting events, dinner, worship services, and our relationships with friends and family. It was Aristotle who wrote: “Man is by nature a social animal,” and reflecting on this small example of the need for social interaction, we are inclined to agree.
A hindrance, however, to social interaction is untreated hearing loss. It is, in fact, the predecessor for social isolation, since people often disengage from activities largely dependent on hearing. Hearing loss not only affects the person living with it, but also the loved ones around them. The result can often lead to strained relationships.
Statistics
The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) estimates that 48 million American are living with some degree of hearing loss. However, only 1 in 4 people who need hearing aids actually wears them. Therefore, one can conclude that 75 percent of people with hearing loss are putting their relationships at risk—and the research proves it. A British study from 2009 showed that out of 1,500 people with hearing loss surveyed, 44 percent reported that their relationships with their partner, friends or family suffered because of hearing loss. And 34 percent reported the breakdown in communication had actually brought about loss of relationships, including marriages.
Communication: The Key to a Healthy Relationship
Daily communication is a cornerstone of a healthy relationship, be they important matters or casual banter. Hearing loss can put cracks in that cornerstone over time until it crumbles away. When there is no communication, room for frustration, uncertainty, and insecurity open up. Any of these can lead to resentment, which reinforces the rift in communication and can disrupt intimacy. All that remains for both partners is loneliness and isolation.
A survey from 2007 published in the ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Leader shows us that there is still more to it than that. Of all of their relationships, 35 percent of participants said that the one with their significant other suffered most. “All too often spouses blame each other’s ability to listen when in fact it is truly a hearing problem that is chipping away at their ability to communicate,” said audiologist Patricia Chute, professor and chair of the Division of Health Professions at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Another recently released report revealed the results of 23 interviews conducted with people with hearing loss and their partners with the focus on one question: How do partners and their families respond to hearing loss?
The interviews, titled “In it together: The impact of hearing loss on personal relationships,” exposed the positives and negatives associated with hearing loss and significant others. Though participants with hearing loss said their partners were supportive and advocates for creating awareness of the presence of hearing loss and encouraging treatment, they also expressed dismay for their partners’ inability to fully understand hearing loss. The partner with normal hearing could never understand, for example, how fatigue or environmental noise could be contributing factors for how much their partner could hear at any given time. Both partners had agreed that because of hearing loss there was a significant change in the nature and content of their communication.
That Which is Lost
These studies confirm that the most banal communication between partners helps to build intimacy and a strong connection. The inside jokes, small asides, and humor foster companionship and reflection. Relationships experience a significant loss when that communication is not present.
Myriad problems can occur and leave negative emotions lingering between partners when hearing loss goes untreated. Some include:
- Frustration and resentment
- Loneliness (the hearing partner feels that they are missing out on companionship)
- Withdrawing from social activities and interaction
- Shared communication difficulties
- Decrease in shared activities such as watching TV
- Less verbal communication overall
Silver Lining
Thankfully, we can look on the bright side and take comfort in the fact that a hearing aid can act as an intervention in situations such as these. They can improve the quality of various areas of life, like relationship, communication, and social interaction, rather than isolation. Whether it is the simple act of enjoying a movie together or having coffee with friends, when people use hearing aids, they able to enjoy life’s pleasures again. And more importantly, they are able to enjoy life together with their significant other.
If you think you may have a hearing loss and it is affecting the communication between you and your partner, get your hearing tested. You can do so online or find an audiologist or hearing healthcare professional near you. If a hearing loss is detected, be sure to shop our discount hearing aids to find the right device for your needs and lifestyle.
