The Covid-19 outbreak has proven to be detrimental to those individuals with hearing loss. For instance, the use of masks have become disastrous because they are unable to utilize lipreading to compensate for what they are unable to hear. With half of a speaker’s face covered, a hearing-impaired person may not be able to distinguish between certain consonant and vowel sounds. Masks also muffle speech, making it harder for sound waves to travel to the ear.
The brain will attempt to translate sound, but since it doesn’t have the input to do what it needs, it will start pulling resources from other parts of the brain to get the job done. This in turn will cause mental fatigue. This is due to the fact that the brain is expending so much energy trying to interpret sounds that the hearing impaired individual is left feeling exhausted, which can cause cognitive issues or decline.
If you or a loved one feels stressed when trying to communicate with others while wearing a mask, you may have some hearing loss that can be remedied by wearing hearing aids. The Hearing Institute of Ontario provides a safe and healthy environment where we can deliver comprehensive Audiology services. Please contact us to find out what are the best solutions for all of your hearing needs.
