Ordering a drink at a busy café in the ByWard Market, recapping your day with family over dinner at Al’s Steakhouse, and calling your friend in Kanata to make plans. All of these things have one thing in common: Conversation. This form of communication is essential, but often an overlooked part of our daily lives. When hearing ability changes, communication becomes harder to understand.
It’s easy to dismiss these moments as a normal part of getting older or blame them on a noisy environment. Yet research suggests that the effects of hearing loss can contribute to frustration and stress, which can impact relationships. Over time, the emotional effort of trying to keep up during conversations can become as significant as the hearing changes themselves.
For many Ottawa residents, hearing is a big part of their careers, especially for those who work in government. A typical day is filled with communication:
• Collaborating with colleagues
• Participating in virtual meetings
• Serving customers
• Leading presentations
Without normal hearing capabilities, many people begin to adapt. They may ask others to repeat themselves more often, use context and visual cues to fill in the blanks, or simply smile and nod, hoping they understood correctly. These strategies may help in the moment, but they often require much more concentration than most people realize.
When hearing becomes difficult, the brain begins working overtime to fill in missing sounds and interpret conversations. This is known as listening effort: the extra mental energy required to understand speech when hearing ability changes.
Listening effort isn’t always obvious, but many people experiencing hearing loss describe feeling mentally drained after situations that once felt easy to contribute to. Situations that often demand greater concentration include:
• Group discussions
• Conference calls
• Networking events
• Talking in busy restaurants
By the end of the day, that extra cognitive effort can lead to fatigue, reduced focus and withdrawing from conversations altogether.
Piecing conversations together constantly while trying not to miss important details can make social and professional interactions feel more exhausting than enjoyable.
As communication becomes more difficult, some people begin participating less in conversations without even realizing it.
They may hesitate to contribute during meetings or avoid asking someone to repeat themselves, which can gradually affect confidence and workplace participation.
Research reflects these experiences, with 38% of employed Canadians with hearing disabilities reporting feeling disadvantaged in their workplace because of their hearing challenges. That statistic highlights how communication difficulties can influence not only day-to-day interactions, but also professional confidence and career experiences.
Occasionally asking someone to repeat themselves is completely normal. But when it becomes a regular part of daily conversations, it is worth paying attention to.
Common signs that hearing may be changing include:
• Frequently asking others to repeat themselves.
• Finding conversations in restaurants or busy environments increasingly difficult.
• Turning the television volume up higher than others prefer.
• Feeling tired after social events because concentrating on conversations required extra effort.
• Finding one-on-one conversations much easier than group discussions.
• Trying to avoid social settings more often than usual
• Quickly getting frustrated during conversations
These changes often develop gradually, making them easy to overlook or attribute to other factors.
For people already noticing these kinds of communication challenges, taking an online hearing test can be a helpful first step to see if it warrants a conversation with a hearing care professional.
Whether at work, volunteering in the community, or spending time with family and friends, communication helps people stay connected to the moments that matter most.
While hearing changes can sometimes develop so gradually they’re easy to dismiss, they shouldn’t reshape everyday interactions. Recognizing persistent communication challenges and understanding the role hearing may be playing can help people make informed decisions about the support that’s right for them.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice. Please consult a hearing care specialist to address your unique needs.
About the author
Katie Koebel, M.Cl.Sc., Reg. CASLPO is an audiologist and Senior Manager of Audiology at HearingLife, Canada’s largest group of hearing centres with over 350 locations across the country. HearingLife clinics use the most advanced hearing aid technology, clinical support, and diagnostic equipment. Katie is an Audiologist registered with CASLPO and has been providing her clients with the best possible hearing health care with HearingLife for over 17 years.
If you’re at high risk of hearing damage, it is advisable to have your hearing checked regularly and advocate for proper hearing protection in your workplace. For more information on different types of hearing loss and educational resources, visit a hearing clinic near you.
Photo: iStock
