Most of us have experienced mental fatigue after a long day of listening to presentations or attending Zoom meetings. However, if you have hearing loss you are likely to experience this fatigue sooner and more frequently.
Struggling to Hear Wears Out Your Brain
Hearing loss often happens because of damage to the hair cells of the inner ear due to things like aging or loud noise exposure. These cells are responsible for translating sounds into electrical signals which then travel along the auditory nerve to the brain.
To compensate for this damage, your brain has to work harder to process sounds and speech, which leads to more fatigue. It can be especially exhausting in situations where there is a lot of background noise or multiple people are talking at once.
If you’ve noticed that you feel more mentally fatigued after work meetings or struggle to follow conversations when out at a busy [city] restaurant, these may be signs of hearing loss.
Hearing Aids Can Help Fight Mental Fatigue
The good news is that by treating your hearing loss with hearing aids, you can help reduce mental fatigue.
A 2013 study found that using hearing aids reduced listening effort and mental fatigue for adults with mild to severe hearing loss. Researchers found that participants had better word recall and faster reaction times when using hearing aids than without.
Hearing aids can help reduce the burden placed on your brain and make it easier to understand sounds and speech. Because you no longer have to put extra effort into understand what is being said, you’re less likely to feel as fatigued as quickly as you did when your hearing loss what untreated.
Put Your Hearing Health First
If you’re concerned that you’re experiencing mental fatigue or other signs of hearing loss, make an appointment for a hearing test as soon as possible. Your audiologist will be able to quickly assess the type and severity of your hearing loss and recommend treatment options.
If they determine you would benefit from hearing aids, they will work with you to find a pair that best fits your lifestyle and meets your individual hearing needs.