Intimacy isn’t normally the first thing that comes to mind when you think about hearing aids. We get it. These little devices are normally advertised in very concrete terms. Love, conversely, is something better suited for poetry, music, and art.
And yet, the two are inextricably connected to the point where you might want to begin thinking of your hearing aid as an intimacy device. After all, the social separation that comes from untreated hearing loss can also mean separation from your partner. Which means it’s not just chatting with the cashier at the store that becomes more difficult, it’s also maintaining your most important and intimate relationships.
That’s not to say someone suffering from hearing loss isn’t capable of forming deep bonds or of experiencing wonderful, lasting relationships. But it will be necessary to make some practiced adjustments and take some special care. If you’ve been losing your hearing slowly and over time, you most likely haven’t matured those additional skills, as a result, your relationships could suffer.
True intimacy, though, and improved personal relationships can come from something as simple 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 good communication skills are at the root of a healthy relationship. Everybody will feel more appreciated and valued with strong communication permitting stronger emotional connections and reducing arguments.
But hearing loss can compound normal communication roadblocks in the process making a difficult task much harder.
Here’s how a hearing aid will be most useful:
- The quieter, whispered moments won’t get lost. Let’s be truthful, it isn’t pillow talk if you have to yell. A hearing aid will let you enjoy more of those quiet, hushed experiences between you and your partner.
- Your boosted stamina will make it simpler to communicate.Hearing loss can leave you fatigued from straining to communicate. Conversations can once again be fun and invigorating.
Your partner won’t have to be your translator
If your partner needs to repeat everything people are saying, it doesn’t make for a really romantic evening. Likewise, you won’t have a very good time if you can’t hear anything that’s going on all night. It’s not hard to imagine the type of resentment this might cause.
Your independence can be protected by wearing hearing aids. Your partner won’t need to order your food at a restaurant or be your translator when you’re having dinner with friends. And going out solo to socialize will also be easier. 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
There are a thousand ways that hearing more could help make your partner’s life a little easier. Perhaps you jump in and help with dinner because your hearing aids let you hear the cook timer sound. Or maybe you hear your partner scuffle on the floor and ask if they’re alright. You will have the chance 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 added together, these little gestures show your commitment and compassion. They show you care. And that will make you a quality partner. You will have a much easier time achieving this with hearing aids which will help you detect more discreet audio cues.
You won’t miss the power of a whisper
When you have hearing loss, particularly when you haven’t detected your symptoms, it may be tough to recognize that you’ve stopped hearing those breathy whispers shared during romantic occasions. And part of the pleasure of being intimate, let’s be truthful, is those subtle, hushed occasions. You will once more be able to experience the power of a whisper. This means that your experience of partnership will be that much more powerful.
Helping Your Relationship
Every issue with your relationship won’t be solved with a hearing aid, clearly. Nor is it impossible to have intimacy with hearing loss. Hearing aids will make certain elements of your love life more pleasurable 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 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 schedule an appointment right away.