When you imagine hearing aids, intimacy most likely isn’t the first thing you consider. We get it. These little devices are usually advertised in very concrete terms. Love, conversely, is something better suited for music, poetry, and art.
And yet, the two are closely connected to the point where you may want to begin thinking of your hearing aid as an intimacy device. After all, when doctors, researchers, and hearing specialists discuss “social isolation caused by hearing loss,” they’re also referencing isolation from your partner. That means it’s not just chatting with the cashier at the supermarket that becomes more difficult, it’s also maintaining your most important and intimate relationships.
That doesn’t mean somebody with hearing loss isn’t capable of forming deep bonds or of experiencing wonderful, lasting relationships. But it will be necessary to make some practiced adaptations and take some special care. If you’ve been losing your hearing slowly and over time, you likely haven’t matured those extra skills, as a result, your relationships could suffer.
True intimacy, though, and improved personal relationships can come from something as simple as using a hearing aid. Here are just a few ways that hearing aids could have a positive impact on your love life.
Improved communication
It’s well known that good communication skills are at the core of a healthy relationship. Taking the time to communicate can help avoid arguments, improve emotional connections, and make everybody feel more valued and appreciated.
But the challenge becomes even more pronounced with hearing loss which can significantly impede normal communication.
Here’s how a hearing aid will be most useful:
- The quieter, whispered moments won’t get lost. To put it directly, there’s no yelling in pillow talk. A hearing aid will let you enjoy more of those quiet, hushed experiences between you and your partner.
- Your boosted stamina will make it easier to communicate.Hearing loss can leave you depleted from straining to communicate. With a hearing aid, conversing can be fun and energizing once more.
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 everybody 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 not hard to imagine the type of resentment this might cause.
A hearing aid can help maintain 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. In addition, it will be easier to continue socializing on your own! This means you’ll have stories and adventures that you can bring home to your partner, enriching your relationship in the process.
You’ll be more receptive to your partner’s needs
There are a lot of ways that hearing more might help make your partner’s life a little easier. Perhaps, thanks to your hearing aids, you notice the timer go off and jump in to help with dinner. Or perhaps you hear your partner scuffle on the floor and ask if they’re okay. You will have the opportunity to ask your partner what’s wrong if you hear them grumble under their breath.
These may sound small and perhaps even insignificant. But these little gestures, taken together, will show your partner that you are compassionate and committed. They demonstrate your level of care. And that’s what partners are supposed to do! You will have a substantially easier time accomplishing this with hearing aids which will help you detect more discreet audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
You might have a difficult time hearing those breathy whispers shared during intimate moments when you have hearing loss, especially if it has progressed so gradually you didn’t even notice. And let’s be honest, those quiet 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 profound.
Helping Your Relationship
Every problem in your relationship won’t be solved using a hearing aid, clearly. Nor is it impossible to have romance with hearing loss. Hearing aids will make certain elements of your love life more enjoyable and enriching and that’s the main point here.
So when hearing loss gets in the way of your connections, your relationships can become dicey and it can be difficult to find a cause. A hearing aid can return needed intimacy to your relationship so schedule an appointment as soon as possible.