What is the key to a strong and healthy relationship? If your first thought is “communication,” you aren’t alone. Relationship experts and psychologists will tell you that communication is indeed the key to forming lasting bonds with others and making sure that your connection is beneficial to both parties. However, communication is a complex process. Were it as simple as writing down what we need to communicate and passing it across the table, relationships would be much easier to maintain. We gather meaningful information from others in countless ways, not only in the words they speak but also in the facial expressions, nonverbal cues, and body language that they use.
When you add to this the variety of spoken communication, including tone of voice and connotations of word choice, you begin to get a sense of how complex communication can be within a relationship. To maintain healthy relationships and to improve those that are struggling, there are many steps you can take, including couples counseling and courses on communication.
Did you know that treating hearing loss can also improve your relationships? Though we rely on many types of communication with others, verbal communication remains the dominant form for most people. When you remove the barrier imposed by hearing loss, you will be helping pave the way for healthier relationships in other regards. Let’s consider the toll that untreated hearing loss can take on a relationship before exploring the benefits treatment can provide.
Untreated Hearing Loss and Your Relationships
When you communicate with those you love, you engage in a two-way street of meaningful exchange. Not only do you disclose your thoughts, opinions, and feelings, but you also listen to what the other person has to say. This back-and-forth builds a bond of trust between you. Knowing that someone listens, understands, and responds to what you say is a way to know that you are not alone and that you are connected to that person. However, hearing loss can get in the way of communication.
When you can’t hear the details of what a person has to say, it can lead to miscommunication. The tone of voice and connotation of speech is part of the complex puzzle of communication, making it possible to feel deeply understood by another person. Hearing loss can get in the way of that deeper understanding. Not only does hearing loss impair your communication ability directly, but it can also lead to a frustrating and uncomfortable mood around the process. When you try and fail to understand others in a conversation, you might become frustrated with yourself or even angry at the other person for failing to accommodate your hearing needs. This emotional landscape can hang like a fog around the relationship. Each time you try to connect, it might lead to so much frustration and disappointment that you start to avoid communicating altogether.
The Benefits of Treatment for Your Relationships
The good news is that you don’t need to remain in a state of frustration and disconnection. Getting treatment for hearing loss can help fill the gaps in understanding what others have to say. Whereas you might have missed words, sounds, or phrases in the past, getting treatment can make it possible to understand one another once again. Hearing aids don’t work like eyeglasses, bringing back a sharp view of the world in an instant, but they do help with communication in remarkable ways.
Our minds are remarkably adept at putting together the puzzle of sound into a meaningful picture in language, but hearing loss is like trying to assemble a puzzle without all the pieces. If you have untreated hearing loss, these benefits for your relationships are even more reasons to schedule a hearing test. This exam is the first step in the direction of treatment, so don’t delay making the appointment.
When you receive the assistance you need, you might find that your relationships are more deeply connected and feel easier to navigate. The adage that communication is the key to strong and healthy relationships will bear fruit among your closest loved ones. Getting a hearing test can open a door toward better hearing and stronger relationships.
