When you imagine hearing aids, intimacy probably isn’t the first thing you consider. We get it. These little devices are normally advertised in rather 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, the social isolation that comes from neglected hearing loss can also mean separation from your partner. That means it’s not just chatting with the cashier at the store that becomes more challenging, it’s also maintaining your most significant and intimate relationships.
Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t enjoy beautiful relationships and deep emotional bonds. It’s just that doing so takes specialized care and well-practiced adaptations. You probably haven’t matured those skills if your hearing loss has advanced gradually and that could mean your relationships might suffer.
Conversely, something as simple as a hearing aid can quickly and easily improve these important relationships and make true intimacy easier. Here are some ways that hearing aids could have a positive impact on your love life.
Improved communication
Obviously, healthy relationships call for strong communication (though, it is sometimes harder to practice than it is to preach). Taking the time to communicate can help avoid 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 quickly in the following ways:
- Your boosted stamina will make it easier to communicate.When you experience hearing loss, talking and listening can consume a lot of energy, leaving you feeling depleted. Conversations can once again be fun and invigorating.
- You’ll catch more of those quieter, whispered moments. Let’s be truthful, it’s not pillow talk if you have to shout. A hearing aid will let you enjoy more of those quiet, hushed experiences between you and your partner.
You won’t need to use your partner as a 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 going on 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 preserve your independence. Your partner won’t need to order your food at a restaurant or be your translator when you’re at a dinner party. 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.
You’ll be more receptive to your partner’s needs
There are a thousand ways that hearing more might help make your partner’s life a bit easier. Maybe, thanks to your hearing aids, you notice the timer go off and come in to help with dinner. Or maybe you ask your partner if they’re ok when you hear them stumble on the floor. You will have the opportunity to ask your partner what’s wrong if you hear them complain under their breath.
These may sound small and perhaps even unimportant. But added up, these little gestures exhibit your commitment and compassion. They demonstrate your level of care. And that will make you a quality partner. A hearing aid makes that a lot 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 are dealing with hearing loss, particularly when you haven’t detected your symptoms, it might be difficult to recognize that you’ve stopped hearing those breathy whispers shared during romantic moments. And part of the pleasure of being romantic, let’s be truthful, is those subtle, hushed moments. A hearing aid will allow you to enjoy the power of a whisper again. This means that your experience of partnership will be that much more powerful.
Helping Your Relationship
Every problem with your relationship won’t be remedied using a hearing aid, obviously. And if you do have hearing loss, you can still have romance. The point here is that a hearing aid will make certain elements of your love life more pleasurable and more enriching.
So if your relationship is a little… dicey… and you’re struggling to find a cause, it might be that your hearing loss is inhibiting your connections. A hearing aid can return needed romance to your relationship so make an appointment as soon as possible.