Making and maintaining friendships is hard. For those with hearing loss, growing a social circle comes with added difficulties. Let’s take a look at how hearing loss impacts your ability to maintain a healthy social circle and how hearing aids can help.
How Does Hearing Loss Impact Social Relationships?
A 2009 study found that hearing loss can lead to a 7% increase in feelings of loneliness for each decibel reduction in hearing loss. Loneliness and social isolation are a little different. Social isolation refers to the lack of meaningful social relationships, whereas loneliness is a feeling not always dependent on others. While more research is needed to determine if hearing aids can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, these technologically advanced devices can have a significant impact on social isolation.
Hearing loss can make communication feel more difficult, result in miscommunications and leave you with little energy at the end of the day for spending time with the people in your life.
From deepening connections with loved ones to newfound participation in the community, hearing aids can profoundly impact your social circle. Let’s take a look at a few ways hearing aids can help widen your social circle.
Enhanced Communication
By amplifying speech sounds and suppressing background noise, hearing aids improve your ability to understand and communicate with the people in your life without the frustration of missed or misinterpreted messages.
Better Relationships
Strong communication is vital to building healthy relationships. Misunderstanding words and phrases can contribute to communication issues and cause tension in your relationships. With the clarity that hearing aids provide, you can prevent misunderstandings from becoming a central part of your relationships.
Increased Participation
No longer sidelined by once-inaudible conversations, you can actively engage in happy hours at The Wheelhouse Bar and Grill with your friends and coworkers. As a result, you can nurture a more active social life that contributes to a profound sense of belonging and well-being.
Improved Confidence
Wearing hearing aids is not just a physical change; it’s a transformative act that can boost self-confidence. When we struggle to do things we think should be easy, like understanding speech in a group of friends, our confidence can feel a little shaken. Hearing aids help create ease in communication and restore your confidence for a more active and self-assured social life.
To learn more about how hearing aids can benefit your life, contact Ear, Nose & Throat Consultants today to make an appointment with one of our specialists.