Intimacy isn’t normally the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hearing aids. We understand. These tiny devices are normally presented in very concrete terms. Love, conversely, is something better suited for music, poetry, and art.
But you might want to start looking at your hearing aid as an intimacy device because of the strong link between your hearing and your relationship. After all, when doctors, researchers, and hearing specialists talk about “social isolation due to hearing loss,” they’re also referencing isolation from your partner. That means it isn’t just chatting with the cashier at the supermarket that becomes more challenging, it’s also maintaining your most significant and intimate relationships.
That’s not to say someone suffering from hearing loss isn’t able to form 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 gradually and over time, you probably haven’t matured those extra skills, as a result, your relationships could suffer.
True intimacy, though, and enhanced personal relationships can come from something as simple as wearing a hearing aid. Here are just a few ways that hearing aids could have a positive affect on your love life.
Improved communication
Obviously, healthy relationships need good communication (though, it is sometimes harder to practice than it is to preach). Taking the time to communicate can help eliminate arguments, increase emotional connections, and make everyone feel more valued and appreciated.
But hearing loss can intensify normal communication roadblocks in the process making a challenging task much harder.
A hearing aid will help most rapidly in the following ways:
- The softer, whispered moments won’t get lost. Let’s be honest, it’s not pillow talk if you have to yell. You and your partner will enjoy those hushed quiet experiences with hearing aids.
- Your boosted stamina will make it easier to communicate.Hearing loss can leave you exhausted from straining to communicate. Conversations can once again be fun and stimulating.
You won’t need to use your partner as a translator
If your partner needs to repeat everything being said, it doesn’t make for a very romantic night. But if you can’t hear what’s happening 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 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. And going out alone to socialize will also be easier. You will be able to enrich your relationship by bringing back stories and adventures to share.
Your partner’s needs will be more accessible to you
Your partner’s life will be a whole lot easier in so many ways if you can hear clearly. Maybe, thanks to your hearing aids, you hear the timer go off and come in to help with dinner. Or maybe you hear your partner stumble on the floor and ask if they’re okay. When you hear your partner grumbling under their breath, you have an opportunity to ask what’s the matter.
All of this may not sound like much of a big deal. But these little gestures, taken together, will demonstrate to your partner that you’re compassionate and committed. They demonstrate your level of care. And that will make you a good partner. You will have a substantially easier time accomplishing this with hearing aids which will help you pick up on more subtle audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
You might have a difficult time hearing those breathy whispers shared during romantic moments when you have hearing loss, particularly if it has progressed so gradually you didn’t even detect it. And part of the fun of being romantic, let’s be truthful, is those subtle, hushed occasions. A hearing aid will allow you to enjoy the power of a whisper again. Which means you’ll be able to enjoy the intimacy of your partnership in a more profound way.
Helping Your Relationship
To be sure, a hearing aid won’t solve every issue with your relationship. And if you do suffer from hearing loss, you can still have romance. Hearing aids will make certain aspects of your love life more pleasurable 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 might be that your hearing loss is getting in the way of your connections. A hearing aid can return needed intimacy to your relationship so schedule an appointment right away.