When you think about hearing aids, intimacy probably isn’t the first thing you consider. We get it. These little devices are usually presented in rather concrete terms. Love, conversely, is something better suited for poetry, music, and art.
But you might want to start looking at your hearing aid as an intimacy device due to the strong link between your hearing and your relationship. After all, when doctors, researchers, and hearing specialists talk about “social separation due to hearing loss,” they’re also pointing to 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 significant and intimate relationships.
Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t enjoy beautiful relationships and deep emotional connections. It’s just that doing so takes particular care and well-practiced adjustments. If you’ve been losing your hearing gradually and over time, you probably haven’t developed those additional skills, subsequently, your relationships could suffer.
True intimacy, though, and improved personal relationships can come from something as basic as wearing a hearing aid. Hearing aids can have a positive impact on your love life in the following ways.
Improved communication
It’s well recognized that strong communication skills are at the core of a healthy relationship. Everyone will feel more appreciated and valued with strong communication permitting stronger emotional connections and minimizing arguments.
But the difficulty becomes even more pronounced with hearing loss which can severely hinder normal communication.
Here’s how a hearing aid will be most helpful:
- Your boosted energy levels will make it easier to communicate.When you have hearing loss, speaking and listening can consume a lot of energy, leaving you feeling exhausted. With a hearing aid, conversing can be fun and energizing once again.
- You’ll catch more of those quieter, whispered moments. 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.
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 easy to see how this arrangement could lead to resentment.
Your independence can be preserved by using hearing aids. You won’t depend on your partner to order for you at a restaurant or repeat what everyone is saying at a dinner party. Additionally, it will be easier to continue going out and socializing on your own! This means you’ll have adventures and stories that you can bring back to your partner, enriching your relationship in the process.
Your partner’s needs will be more accessible to you
Your partner’s life will be so much easier in so many ways if you can hear more. Perhaps, thanks to your hearing aids, you hear the timer go off and come in to help with dinner. Or perhaps 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.
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 are compassionate and committed. They demonstrate your level of care. And that’s what partners are should do! You will have a much 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
When you have hearing loss, especially when you haven’t noticed your symptoms, it may be difficult to recognize that you’ve stopped hearing those breathy whispers shared during intimate occasions. And part of the pleasure of being romantic, let’s be honest, is those subtle, quiet occasions. You will once more be able to experience the power of a whisper. Which means you’ll be able to enjoy the intimacy of your partnership in a more profound way.
Helping Your Relationship
Every problem in your relationship won’t be fixed with a hearing aid, obviously. And if you do have hearing loss, you can still have intimacy. The point here is that a hearing aid will make specific facets of your love life more pleasurable and more enriching.
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 bring back needed intimacy to your relationship so make an appointment right away.
