When you think about hearing aids, intimacy most likely isn’t the first thing you think about. We understand. The advertising on these little devices is relatively straightforward. Love, on the other hand, is something better suited for music, poetry, and art.
And yet, the two are inextricably connected to the point where you might want to start viewing your hearing aid as an intimacy device. After all, when doctors, researchers, and hearing specialists discuss “social separation due to hearing loss,” they’re also referencing isolation from your partner. That means preserving intimate relationships will be just as challenging as trying to talk with the clerk at the store.
That doesn’t mean someone suffering from hearing loss isn’t capable of forming deep bonds or of experiencing wonderful, lasting relationships. But it will be necessary to put in place some practiced adjustments and take some special care. If you’ve been losing your hearing slowly and over time, you probably haven’t matured those additional skills, as a result, your relationships could suffer.
Conversely, something as simple as a hearing aid can quickly and easily enhance these important relationships and make true intimacy more possible. Here are some ways that hearing aids might have a positive impact on your love life.
Improved communication
It’s no secret that healthy relationships call for good communication (although, it is sometimes harder to practice than it is to preach). Everyone will feel more appreciated and valued with strong communication permitting stronger emotional connections and decreasing arguments.
But hearing loss can compound normal communication roadblocks in the process making a difficult task much more difficult.
A hearing aid will help most quickly in the following ways:
- You’ll catch more of those softer, whispered moments. To put it bluntly, there’s no shouting in pillow talk. A hearing aid will foster more of those quiet, hushed moments between you and your partner.
- You’ll have more energy for communication.When you have hearing loss, talking and listening can consume a lot of energy, leaving you feeling depleted. Conversations can once again be fun and stimulating.
You won’t need to use your partner as a translator
Going out with a group of friends won’t be all that enjoyable when your partner spends most of their time repeating everybody for your benefit. But if you are unable to hear what’s happening all night, that won’t be very fun either. It’s easy to understand how this arrangement could cause resentment.
A hearing aid can help protect your independence. Your partner won’t have to order your food at a restaurant or be your translator when you’re having dinner with friends. And going out alone to socialize will also be easier. This means you’ll have stories and adventures that you can bring back to your partner, enriching your relationship in the process.
You’ll be more receptive to your partner’s needs
Your partner’s daily life will be so much easier in so many ways if you’re able to hear more. Perhaps you jump in and help with dinner because your hearing aids permitted you to hear the cook timer sound. Or perhaps you hear your partner scuffle on the floor and ask if they’re alright. You will have the chance to ask your partner what’s wrong if you hear them complain under their breath.
All of this might not sound like much of a big deal. But these little gestures, taken together, will demonstrate to your partner that you are compassionate and committed. They demonstrate your level of care. And that will make you a good partner. A hearing aid makes that much easier to accomplish because you’ll pick up on those sometimes discreet audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
When you suffer from hearing loss, especially when you haven’t noticed your symptoms, it might be difficult to recognize that you’ve stopped hearing those breathy whispers shared during intimate occasions. And let’s be honest, those hushed sounds are part of the fun of intimacy. You will once more be able to enjoy the power of a whisper. This means that your experience of partnership will be that much more powerful.
Helping Your Relationship
Every issue with your relationship won’t be fixed using a hearing aid, clearly. Nor is it impossible to experience intimacy with hearing loss. Hearing aids will make specific aspects 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 scrambling to find a cause, it may be that your hearing loss is getting in the way of your connections. Schedule an appointment with us, a hearing aid could return welcome intimacy to your love life.
