Fatigue and Hearing Loss: Investigating the Connection

Hearing loss is a condition experienced by about 14% of the American population. A person is said to have some degree of hearing loss when they are totally or partially unable to hear certain frequencies and pitches. There are several causes of hearing loss, like long exposure to loud noises, side effects of various medications, underlying health issues, age and genetics. Hearing loss affects one’s wellbeing in many ways, such as increased fatigue.

What is Listening Fatigue?

To understand what “listening fatigue” means, you must first understand how the ear receives and processes sound. Sound waves are collected by the ear and moved through the ear canal to the inner ear. Here, sensory signals convert the noise to electrical impulses transmitted along the auditory nerve to the brain. The brain processes the data received, which is interpreted to be a sound. Each nerve cell has a specific frequency that the brain converts into recognizable sounds.

If you experience hearing loss, your brain works harder to process the information being presented. This is because damage to various parts of the ear makes the process of collecting, transporting, and converting noise more challenging. This means you would need more brainpower to make sense of the noises you hear, which leads to listening fatigue. On the other hand, listening fatigue is not a phenomenon experienced by people with normal hearing. This is because their auditory system functions as it should, causing the brain to acquire and process information easily.

The increase in the use of cognitive resources, or brainpower and exhaustion, often affects the wellbeing of persons experiencing hearing loss. In most cases, they avoid social activities, which may make them exhausted. This, in turn, leads to isolation which causes stress, depression, and anxiety for persons experiencing hearing loss.

How to Reduce Listening Fatigue

Reducing listening fatigue is crucial for people with hearing loss to stay healthy and socially connected. Use hearing aids or other devices recommended by your audiologist to ease strain on your ears. Practice active listening by focusing on the speaker’s face and body language to understand better without struggling. Also, talk openly to friends, family, and coworkers about your hearing needs so they can support you. Lastly, consider getting help from speech therapists or audiologists to learn effective communication skills, making conversations easier and more enjoyable.

Take a Nap

More often than not, all you need when you’re experiencing listening fatigue is to take a short break to help you rejuvenate and refresh. However, it is important to keep these naps short as you wouldn’t want to disrupt your sleeping pattern, creating a vicious cycle of fatigue. A 15-minute nap can suffice.

Wear Your Hearing Aids

As mentioned earlier, experts and studies have found that listening fatigue comes from your brain overworking to interpret the sounds around you. However, this can be resolved by using hearing aids. Hearing aids allow people experiencing hearing loss to process sounds easily and seamlessly. It prevents the need to strain to hear, making social interactions more personal and less exhausting.

Allocate Quiet Time

Another way to avoid listening fatigue is to just not listen! It is important to demarcate some time to avoid listening to anything. For example, you should consider reading instead of turning on the TV and radio. It would be best to try eliminating background noises as much as possible. This is because the less noise your brain has to decipher, the more cognitive resources you need to process and interpret it, and the more exhausted you become.

Carry Out Relaxation Exercises

The fatigue from trying to hear sounds all day can be very stressful and cause you to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and frustrated. The best way to deal with these feelings is to practice relaxation exercises. Meditating and carrying out deep breathing exercises help alleviate this stress and cause you to feel energized and refreshed. Additionally, these exercises increase your calmness.

Take a Walk

Sometimes, all you need to overcome the exhaustion of trying to listen to the noise around you all day is to take a nice relaxing walk. Therefore, take time out of your schedule to go on walks around your neighborhood, enjoying the atmosphere and taking in your environment.

Visit an Audiologist Today

Overcoming the side effects of hearing loss requires the expertise of an experienced and licensed audiologist. With Hearing & Balance Services of Reston, you’re in luck! At Hearing & Balance Services of Reston, we have a team of excellent and trusted audiologists dedicated to ensuring you live a life of healthy hearing by providing you with the right services and solutions. Learn more about who we are and our services; visit our office today or contact us at 703-260-6192.