Intimacy isn’t normally the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hearing aids. We understand. The advertising on these little devices is rather straightforward. Less defined expressions like poetry, music, and art are more suited to the subject of love.
And yet, the two are closely linked to the point where you might want to begin 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. Which means it’s not just talking with the cashier at the grocery store that becomes more challenging, it’s also maintaining your most significant and intimate relationships.
That’s not to say somebody with hearing loss isn’t capable of forming deep bonds or of experiencing beautiful, enduring relationships. It’s just that doing so takes particular care and well-practiced adaptations. If you’ve been losing your hearing slowly and over time, you most likely haven’t matured those extra skills, subsequently, your relationships could suffer.
By the same token, something as obvious as a hearing aid can quickly and easily enhance these priceless relationships and make true intimacy easier. Here are just a few ways that hearing aids might have a positive affect on your love life.
Improved communication
It’s well recognized that good communication skills are at the core of a healthy relationship. Everyone will feel more appreciated and valued with good communication allowing stronger emotional connections and reducing arguments.
But the difficulty becomes even more pronounced with hearing loss which can seriously impede normal communication.
Here’s how a hearing aid will be most useful:
- You’ll have more energy for communication.Hearing loss can leave you depleted from straining to communicate. Conversations can once again be fun and invigorating.
- The softer, whispered moments won’t get lost. To put it directly, there’s no shouting in pillow talk. A hearing aid will foster more of those quiet, hushed experiences between you and your partner.
Your partner won’t have to be your translator
Going out with 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 happening all night, that won’t be very fun either. It’s not hard to imagine the type of resentment this might cause.
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. Additionally, it will be easier to continue socializing on your own! You will be able to enrich your relationship by bringing home stories and adventures to share.
You’ll be more receptive to your partner’s needs
Your partner’s life will be so much 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 alright. When you hear your partner complaining under their breath, you have a chance to ask what’s bothering them.
All of this might not sound like much of a big deal. But these little gestures, taken together, will show your partner that you’re compassionate and committed. They show you care. And that will make you a quality partner. A hearing aid makes that a lot easier to accomplish because you’ll recognize those sometimes discreet audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
You may have a tough time hearing those breathy whispers shared during intimate moments when you have hearing loss, particularly if it has progressed so slowly you didn’t even notice. And let’s be honest, those quiet sounds are part of the fun of intimacy. A hearing aid will let you enjoy the power of a whisper again. This means that your experience of partnership will be that much more profound.
Helping Your Relationship
To be certain, a hearing aid won’t mend every problem in your relationship. And if you do have hearing loss, you can still have romance. Hearing aids will make certain 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 scrambling to find a cause, it may be that your hearing loss is getting in the way of your connections. A hearing aid can return needed romance to your relationship so make an appointment right away.