Valentine's Day approaches! Flowers and chocolates and pink, heart-shaped boxes are given and gotten to celebrate love. Couples go dancing to heart-throbbing music or go out to dinner at candlelit tables or simply stay home to share a nice glass of wine. Love is in the air!
But what happens if you or your significant other, or both, are losing the ability to hear? The music you'd like to dance to becomes muted, so getting the beat takes more effort, making it less fun. The intimate dinner becomes frustrating, because the inability to hear what is being said makes the conversation seem less fluid and more like work. And the sweet, whispered nothings you'd like to share while enjoying a nice glass of wine will fall on ears that can no longer hear as well as they used to.
The fun begins to fade away, and the frustrations due to the difficulty to communicate, especially in an intimate setting, can cause a strain on even the most steadfast relationships. For those inexperienced with hearing loss, questions might arise, such as, "Is it me? Did I do something wrong? Am I being ignored on purpose?"
An easy solution exists! If conversations become difficult, the best thing to do is try to figure out why, and a good starting point is an ear exam and a hearing test. If hearing loss does exist, these tests will help determine that, no, neither you nor your loved one did anything wrong, and no one is being ignored.
After the exam, your hearing healthcare provider will discuss solutions, such as removing ear wax, perhaps removing other physical obstructions in the ear, or even recommending hearing aids. If hearing aids are recommended, Phonak's Audéo Lumity can focus on speech in even noisy environments, which is usually the most difficult situation for anyone who is hearing impaired, but they also work very nicely in quiet, candlelit environments.
If hearing loss is the culprit, then improving yours or your loved one's hearing will help reconnect you to the person who matters the most, leading to a much happier, more connected and more joyful relationship.
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