When you imagine hearing aids, intimacy most likely isn’t the first thing you consider. We understand. These tiny devices are usually presented in very concrete terms. Love, conversely, is something better suited for poetry, music, and art.
And yet, the two are closely connected to the point where you might want to begin thinking of your hearing aid as an intimacy device. After all, when doctors, researchers, and hearing specialists discuss “social isolation due to hearing loss,” they’re also referencing isolation from your partner. That means maintaining intimate relationships will be just as challenging as attempting to talk with the clerk at the grocery store.
Hearing loss doesn’t inevitably mean you can’t enjoy wonderful relationships and deep emotional bonds. It’s just that doing so takes special care and well-practiced adaptations. If you’ve been losing your hearing slowly and over time, you probably haven’t matured those additional skills, subsequently, your relationships could suffer.
True intimacy, though, and improved personal relationships can come from something as basic as using a hearing aid. Here are some ways that hearing aids might have a positive affect on your love life.
Improved communication
It’s no secret that healthy relationships require strong communication (although, it is sometimes harder to practice than it is to preach). Taking the time to communicate can help avoid arguments, enhance emotional connections, and make everyone feel more valued and appreciated.
But hearing loss can intensify regular communication roadblocks in the process making a difficult task much more difficult.
Here’s how a hearing aid will be most beneficial:
- The quieter, whispered moments won’t get lost. Let’s be truthful, it’s not pillow talk if you have to yell. A hearing aid will foster more of those quiet, hushed moments between you and your partner.
- Your boosted energy levels will make it easier to communicate.When you experience hearing loss, speaking and listening can consume a lot of energy, leaving you feeling exhausted. Conversations can once again be fun and stimulating.
Your partner won’t have to be your translator
Going out with a group of friends won’t be all that much fun when your partner spends most of their time repeating everyone for your benefit. But if you are unable to hear what’s going on all night, that won’t be very enjoyable either. It’s easy to see how this arrangement could lead to resentment.
A hearing aid can help preserve your independence. Your partner won’t need to order your food at a restaurant or be your translator when you’re having dinner with friends. And going out solo to socialize will also be easier. You will be able to enrich your relationship by bringing home stories and adventures to share.
Your partner’s needs will be more accessible to you
Your partner’s daily life will be a whole lot easier in so many ways if you can hear more. Perhaps, thanks to your hearing aids, you hear the timer go off and jump in to help with dinner. Or perhaps you ask your partner if they’re ok when you hear them stumble on the floor. You will have the chance to ask your partner what’s wrong if you hear them grumble under their breath.
These might sound small and perhaps even unimportant. But added together, these little gestures demonstrate your commitment and compassion. They show you care. And that’s what partners are should do! A hearing aid makes that a lot easier to achieve because you’ll recognize those sometimes discreet audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
You might have a hard time hearing those breathy whispers shared during romantic moments when you have hearing loss, especially if it has progressed so gradually you didn’t even detect it. And part of the fun of being romantic, let’s be honest, is those subtle, quiet moments. You will once again be able to experience the power of a whisper. This means that your experience of partnership will be that much more profound.
Helping Your Relationship
To be certain, a hearing aid isn’t going to solve every problem with your relationship. And if you do have hearing loss, you can still have romance. Hearing aids will make specific elements of your love life more enjoyable and enriching and that’s the main point here.
So if your relationship is a little… dicey… and you’re trying to find a cause, it may be that your hearing loss is getting in the way of your connections. Make an appointment with us, a hearing aid could return welcome intimacy to your love life.