Have you ever left a restaurant, family gathering or meeting feeling surprisingly exhausted?
You may think it was simply a long day. But if you also find yourself concentrating intensely to follow conversations, asking people to repeat themselves or struggling when several people are talking, your hearing could be contributing to that fatigue.
Hearing isn’t just about volume
Hearing loss does not always mean that everything suddenly becomes quiet.
For many people, the first difficulty is clarity. You can hear that someone is speaking, but understanding exactly what they are saying takes more concentration, particularly when there is background noise.
When parts of speech are unclear, your brain has to work harder to fill in the gaps using context, visual cues and previous information. This extra mental work is often referred to as listening effort.
For some people, this increased effort can make prolonged conversations and demanding listening situations feel tiring.
What does listening fatigue feel like?
Listening fatigue can be easy to overlook because you may not immediately connect it with your hearing.
You might notice that you:
- Feel tired after meetings or social gatherings
- Lose track of conversations when several people are speaking
- Find restaurants and cafés particularly difficult
- Need people to repeat themselves
- Concentrate intensely on someone’s face when they speak
- Prefer quieter environments
- Feel relieved when you get home and no longer need to concentrate on conversation
Even mild hearing loss can make communication more difficult, particularly in noisy places and during fast conversations, according to Healthdirect Australia.
Why are restaurants and group conversations so difficult?
Restaurants are one of the most challenging listening environments because your brain is dealing with multiple competing sounds at once.
There may be music, conversations from neighbouring tables, kitchen noise, chairs moving and several people speaking around you.
When hearing is reduced, distinguishing the voice you want to hear from competing sounds can become much more demanding.
That is why someone may manage perfectly well during a quiet conversation at home but struggle significantly when they go out for dinner.
“But my hearing isn’t that bad”
This is something audiologists hear regularly.
Because hearing changes often happen gradually, it can be difficult to recognise how much extra effort you are putting into listening.
You may compensate without realising it by turning up the television, choosing quieter restaurants, sitting closer to certain people or relying more heavily on facial expressions.
Common signs of hearing loss can include difficulty hearing clearly in noisy places or group conversations, frequently asking people to repeat themselves and avoiding situations because hearing has become difficult.
If any of these situations sound familiar, a professional hearing test can help you understand whether a change in hearing may be contributing.
Can modern hearing technology help?
Today’s hearing aids do much more than simply make everything louder.
Modern hearing technology can be programmed according to an individual’s hearing needs, with features designed to improve access to speech and reduce the impact of background noise.
However, hearing technology isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Someone who spends most of their time having conversations at home may have very different needs from someone who regularly attends meetings, restaurants, community events or large family gatherings.
That is why the hearing assessment, selection, fitting and ongoing adjustment of hearing aids are so important.
Start with understanding your hearing
Having your hearing assessed does not automatically mean you need hearing aids.
A comprehensive hearing assessment can identify whether hearing loss is present, determine its type and degree, and help explain why particular listening situations may have become difficult.
At Active Audiology, our university-trained audiologists take the time to understand not only your hearing results, but also the situations in which you want to hear better.
Active Audiology is a 100% independent hearing provider with no commercial alliances with hearing aid manufacturers. This means our audiologists can provide unbiased recommendations and access hearing solutions from a range of reputable manufacturers rather than being limited to one brand.
Could your hearing be working harder than you realise?
If conversations are becoming more tiring, restaurants feel harder than they used to, or you frequently find yourself asking “What did you say?”, it may be worth finding out why.
Take the first step towards easier conversations. Book a hearing appointment with Active Audiology or call 1300 364 007 to speak with our team
