Why Pretending to Hear Doesn’t Help

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you can’t quite hear what people are saying? You may feel too embarrassed to ask those involved to repeat themselves or perhaps it’s gone past the point where you can ask. When you’re dealing with hearing loss, many pretend to be able to hear simply because they feel like it’s the easier option. Instead, it’s important to admit that there’s an issue because otherwise, it can end up leading to important information getting lost and misunderstandings that could lead to social tensions.

Here’s why pretending to hear doesn’t help you, and why it’s important to get your hearing checked.

Why pretending to hear doesn’t help your health

Letting people know that you can’t hear them properly is essential because it can help you when it comes to being a part of the conversation. Sometimes, we all have problems when it comes to listening to conversations. We can often zone out and miss what’s been said, which ultimately leaves you laughing awkwardly or agreeing to something you don’t actually understand.

We refrain from asking others to repeat themselves often out of fear that it’s an inconvenience for them or that it’s rude. However, it’s better to get all the information and comprehending it than to miss it in parts or in its entirety.

For example, in a professional job role where you’re responsible for others or various duties, missing what’s been said could affect your job performance. You might be putting others at risk or not having all the information might cause something to go wrong.

Pretending to hear could have significant effects on your health. If you’re always straining to hear, you might end up causing injury to other areas of the body. When you are pretending to hear music, for example, you might turn it up louder than normal and that could cause more damage to your ears than good.

Returning back to the workplace scenario, pretending to hear could make it difficult when it comes to meeting clients. Your lack of response to questions or a conversation going on might make you look as if you don’t care and that’s not the client’s fault if you’ve not been honest about your hearing ability.

It can damage relationships and trust

If you’re not being honest with yourself when it comes to your hearing, then how you can expect to appear honest to others? It might be that you think you’re able to go about your daily routine speaking to family members, friends and colleagues, but if they don’t know about your hearing limitations, then they may feel as though you’re being rude towards them or you’re not listening properly.

There comes a point in conversations where you’re asked for your opinion or an answer to a question that’s being asked. If you simply pretend to have listened or say, sorry I wasn’t listening, then that’s likely to cause some problems.

The last thing any of us would want to do is hurt our loved one’s feelings, but it can be something that happens when it comes to hearing damage. It may make them feel ignored and also contributes to social isolation.

Be honest with your loved ones about your hearing

Pretending to hear conversations can likely get you into trouble or it may hinder relationships both in your professional life but also your personal one. Next time you have a problem hearing, instead of pretending, be honest with yourself and those around you. Ask those talking to you to speak up or to repeat anything you’ve missed. If the surroundings are too loud, then move somewhere else.

If you’re having problems with your hearing to the extent that you feel hearing aids might be necessary, then it’s certainly worth getting your hearing tested. Everyone should be getting their hearing tested once every year, so it’s not uncommon to get it checked if you’ve got concerns. Let your family and friends know about your hearing, and they’ll likely be a lot more accommodating because of it.

Hearing aids are a great help for improving your hearing, and thanks to technology and engineering, the range of hearing aids have grown vastly over the years. We know have access to hearing aids that are so small, they’re virtually invisible.

If you need assistance when it comes to your hearing, then an audiologist from Atlantic Audiology can certainly help with anything you might need. Give us a call at (401) 262-0170 and let us help you with your hearing loss, however mild or severe it may be.