I am tired after social gatherings. Do I have hearing loss? What can I do about it?

I am tired after social gatherings. Do I have hearing loss?

Understanding why listening makes you feel tired

Overview    |    Understanding listening fatigue    |    How can listening fatigue affect your hearing?    |    How can hearing aids help?    |    Coping in the meantime    |    Conclusion

Are you exhausted after social events?

Many people experience fatigue following social events, particularly in busy or noisy environments. Similarly, we have all experienced exhaustion on some level after listening to a conversation for a long period of time.  On the whole, this is a normal consequence of simply 'paying attention' and remaining engaged.

However, it's worth considering whether there might be an underlying cause, especially if you consistently feel mentally and physically drained after social gatherings, as undetected hearing loss could be playing a part.

This article explores how hearing loss can lead to listening fatigue, leaving you mentally exhausted. Learn how to spot the signs and what steps you can take to reduce the strain.

Key points about listening fatigue:

1. Listening fatigue is due to your brain having to work that little bit harder to understand what is being said.
2. Those with hearing loss tend to experience listening fatigue more often than those considered to have "normal" hearing.
3. Hearing aids, historically, are a type of treatment used to support your brain's sense of sound, process sounds more easily, and help reduce listening fatigue.

Understanding listening fatigue

Social occasions, whether it’s a family get-together, dinner with friends, or a work event, are often filled with conversation, background noise, and multiple people speaking at once. For those with even mild hearing loss, these situations can quickly become exhausting.

This is due to something known as listening fatigue. When your ears aren't fully capturing sound, especially speech, your brain must work significantly harder to interpret what’s being said. It’s constantly filling in gaps, guessing words, and relying heavily on visual clues. Over time, this extra mental effort can be physically draining.

Listening fatigue isn’t exclusive to those with severe hearing loss. Even subtle changes in hearing, particularly in higher frequencies, can result in this experience.

Related reading:  Digital and listening fatigue

What does the research say?

Research, done back in 2023, showed that those with hearing loss claim higher levels of fatigue than those who don't.  In fact, the more profound the hearing loss, the more likely a person will report feeling fatigued most days.  This is also considering other causes, such as depression, that are already under control.

Could this be affecting you?

If you're unsure whether your post-social fatigue might be related to hearing, ask yourself the following.  If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these, it may be worth having your hearing professionally assessed.

• Do you frequently ask others to repeat themselves?
• Do group conversations feel harder to follow than they used to?
• Are you particularly tired after events where you need to concentrate on your speech?
• Do noisy environments make it more difficult to understand others?
• Have you started avoiding social occasions due to how tiring they feel?

How does hearing loss cause listening fatigue?

When you have hearing loss, in simple terms, your brain needs to focus more on recognising and interpreting the sound information it receives in your inner ear.  This leads to mental fatigue. 

Your hair cells in your ears are effectively tuned into specific frequencies or pitches.  When said cells die, your auditory system can't understand those frequencies, ultimately making it harder for your brain to process sounds coming in.

Hearing loss is often subtle

Hearing loss does not always present as complete or sudden hearing loss. It can begin gradually and may not be immediately noticeable. Often, people compensate without realising, turning up the volume, relying on lipreading, or simply withdrawing from conversation when it becomes too difficult.

This gradual compensation is often what leads to fatigue. Your brain is working harder, for longer, and under increased pressure in environments where clear communication is key.

Related reading:  Types of hearing loss

How can hearing aids help with listening fatigue?

Hearing aids (or cochlear implants for the most severe hearing loss cases) can successfully support and reduce listening fatigue and speech understanding, even amidst the babble of life's noise.  Research also indicates this to be true, especially when reporting on improvements in reaction time and word recall.

Hearing aids, which are professionally fitted, reduce listening effort, making it easier to hear speech (usually in high frequencies) that you might have struggled with in the past.  This, in turn, helps you to understand words and their clarity.

What can you do next if you suspect hearing loss?

The most effective first step is to book a hearing test. Whether you visit a local audiologist or arrange a hearing test at home, the process is simple, non-invasive, and can provide valuable insights into your hearing health.

Early detection of hearing loss allows for a wider range of treatment options and can greatly improve your daily quality of life, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.

How to cope with listening fatigue in the meantime

Here are a few popular tips on how to cope with listening fatigue (even if hearing loss isn't present):

1.  Take a break:  This could be just taking a walk, or closing your eyes and relaxing for a few stolen moments.  Perhaps, you're at work, find a quiet place to have lunch and avoid watching video content, but choose to read instead.
2. Take a breath:  When overwhelmed, take time to practice deep breathing to clear your busy mind, reduce stress, and fatigue.
3. Take yourself away from the noise:  Wherever you are, or whatever you're doing, find a quiet space to work, pick that quieter spot in the cafe, or pop your headphones on (and at a safe level of volume) listen to mindful music, sounds, or tap into your favourite podcast.
4. Take a snooze:  This might not be possible, depending on the reality of your week, but if you can, find time to nap.  It is said that even 20-30 minutes can help you reset, refocus, and instigate better engagement.

Conclusion

If you regularly leave social situations feeling unusually tired, there may be more to it than meets the eye. Hearing loss, particularly when undiagnosed, can place a hidden strain on your mental energy, especially in group settings or noisy environments.

With a professional hearing assessment and the right support, you can regain confidence in social settings and reduce the fatigue that so often comes hand in hand with undetected hearing issues.