Feeling Tired in Social Situations?

Feeling tired after a physically or mentally straining day is normal. But if you are feeling more tired than usual after a typical day of interacting with family, friends and colleagues, it could be a sign of hearing loss. 

Hearing loss is incredibly common, affecting over 48 million Americans to some degree. It’s not just something that happens to the elderly—it can happen at any age and any stage in life. You may think you will know right away if you have hearing loss, but it typically occurs gradually over the course of a few years. In fact, it is often family members and friends who catch the early signs. They tend to notice the TV volume getting too loud and the frequent interjections of “Huh?” and “What?” before the person with hearing loss notices. 

So why does hearing loss make us feel so fatigued? 

When you have normal hearing, understanding your friends or loved ones doesn’t require significant thought or effort. It just comes naturally, allowing you to focus your attention on other details of everyday life. When you can’t hear well due to hearing loss, your brain has to work overtime to understand the people around you.  

Right now, we are all learning how it feels to have a conversation over video call. Missed connections, distracting noises, and poor sound quality make conversations more difficult and can leave us feeling exhausted and even frustrated afterwards. Know the feeling? 

Having a conversation with hearing loss is similar. You have to exert more focus and ask more clarifying questions. You may be mistaking words or feel like everyone is mumbling. Meanwhile, your brain is trying to process and interpret these sounds, as well as distinguish between important sounds and background noise. Some people with hearing loss even begin to rely on lip reading without noticing. With all this extra work, it’s no wonder those with hearing loss may feel tired or mentally drained after social interactions.

The good news is that hearing aids can help the majority of hearing loss cases. Even if you have a minor hearing loss, hearing aids can help you regain important sounds and take the fatigue out of everyday conversations. 

While some are resistant to trying hearing aids, patients who try them out find that the positive effects of feeling more connected to your friends and loved ones causes them to quickly forget about their hesitations. Treating hearing loss not only helps you have better conversations, but it will also leave you with more energy for other activities, like taking your children out to dinner or going on a bike ride after work.

As a member of the NFLPA, you have access to an exclusive program offered by EarQ and the PAF. Come in to any participating EarQ office to have a hearing test completed at no cost to you. If you show a significant need for hearing aids, you may be eligible for a Gene Upshaw PAT Grant to assist with the payment.   

If you are ready to get your energy back and take the next step to better hearing, please call us at 888-840-1292 to get set up with an EarQ provider today!

*Access to the Gene Upshaw PAT Grant is at the sole discretion of the Professional Athletes Foundation.  Please contact the Professional Athletes Foundation at 800.372.2000 with any questions about applying for the grant.