Listening fatigue, also known as listener fatigue, is a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that occurs after prolonged exposure to an auditory stimulus. It can be caused by: Hearing loss, Auditory processing disorders, Spending extended periods in noisy environments, Overworking the brain while trying to hear, and allocating more cognitive resources to listening.
Can hearing loss be exhausting? If you find hearing or communicating with others in a noisy environment stressful, you may be experiencing listening fatigue.
When someone experiences hearing loss, their brain must work harder than usual. Therefore, even simple activities like having a conversation become tiring. The person needs to strain to watch television or follow a conversation continually. Since hearing is a part of everyday life, activities can feel more burdensome.
What is listening fatigue?
Hearing loss leads to communication difficulties. To maintain optimal understanding, people with hearing loss must allocate more cognitive resources, or brainpower to listening. This increase in cognitive resources required to listen to speech has been referred to as an increase in listening effort. Cognitive resources are not unlimited, using additional cognitive resources to listen leaves fewer resources available for other tasks. For example, to maintain optimal understanding in a challenging situation, people with hearing loss may need to shift more resources from other ongoing cognitive tasks (e.g., visual processing or memory rehearsal) than individuals without hearing loss, potentially impacting ease of communication.
Your hair cells in the ear are responsible for determining a sound wave’s frequency and pitch. When cells become damaged or die, your auditory system decreases its ability to translate the frequencies. Therefore, the brain works harder to decipher incoming communication.
Symptoms of listening fatigue include:
Tiredness, Discomfort, Pain, Loss of sensitivity, Low energy, Difficulty concentrating, Elevated stress, and Mood shifts.
To combat listening fatigue, you can try:
- Taking regular breaks and getting fresh air
- Alternating a warm and cold compress on your eyes
- Taking a walk in nature or along a quiet street
- Finding a quiet place to eat your lunch
- Reading instead of watching television
- Practicing deep breathing
- Eliminating background noise whenever possible
- Taking a 20-to-30-minute nap
- Getting your hearing checked by a professional
- Taking quiet breaks every few hours
How does the brain process sound?
In normal hearing, three brain parts work with your auditory system to translate sound and initiate speech. These areas are the following:
- Temporal Lobe: Found behind the ears and extending to both sides of the brain, this area contains the primary auditory cortex. The primary auditory cortex receives sensory stimuli from the inner ear.
- Broca’s Area: Contained in the lower portion of a person’s left frontal lobe, this area produces speech.
- Wernicke’s Area: Situated on the left frontal lobe at the lower part, this area houses speech comprehension.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss
- Requesting people to repeat what they have said.
- Heavily concentrating on hearing and understanding others.
- Trying to read lips.
- Guessing what was communicated or constructing meaning from words or sentences that were half-heard.
How does hearing loss make you tired?
When you can’t hear what is said, the brain works harder to process, provide meaning, and interpret the sounds heard. Thus, the brain becomes slower in applying information or putting effort towards activities. Listening involves a quickening of the heart rate, a rise in body temperature, and increased respiration.
It is possible for people to feel physically exhausted and mentally drained after straining to hear sounds during the day. Additional symptoms of listening fatigue can include:
- Mood changes
- Difficulty concentrating
- Reduction in performance at work
- Low energy
- Sleepiness
- Added stress
- Body pain and discomfort
- Inability to tolerate baseline noise levels (manifesting in apathy, perception of laziness, and rudeness)
While the cause isn’t completely understood, some speculation states that it is due to psychological sound perception. Psychological sound perception refers to the process by which the brain interprets and makes sense of the sounds it receives through the ears. It’s not just about the physical properties of sound waves but also how we experience and interpret them emotionally, cognitively, and contextually. People who are most commonly at risk are people who avidly enjoy listening to loud music and work with loud noise, like construction workers, musicians, or military personnel.
What can you do to address listening fatigue?
Do you suspect that you or a loved one is experiencing listening fatigue? You should book an appointment with one of our audiologists. Hearing tests can assess if fatigue is caused by hearing loss or another factor.
If the cause is a reduction in hearing, then hearing aids may be the best solution to eliminate listening fatigue. They make hearing surrounding sounds and conversations easier in various environments. You will no longer have to strain to hear sounds, thus reducing the energy spent simply listening.
Many of today’s hearing aids have features that reduce listening efforts by decreasing background noise and clarifying sounds. Hearing aids lessen the effects of listener fatigue within a short duration (generally two days). To do this, people gradually increase the time spent wearing hearing devices. While it may appear that continually wearing them is better, sometimes, a gradual increase can prove to be more effective.
Amazing Hearing
There’s no reason to live with untreated hearing loss. Schedule a hearing test with Amazing Hearing, so you can get help as soon as possible. We provide comprehensive hearing health services, from tests to hearing aid fittings. Contact us today to learn more!
