THE SECRET TO PUTTING HAPPINESS BACK IN YOUR MARRIAGE:
HEARING LOSS A FACTOR By Anne Simon, Au.D. Simon Audiology & Tinnitus
“It was heartbreaking to watch,” said Viv Mackay about her parents Ben and Karin. “I remember my parents sharing inside jokes and finishing each other’s sentences. Watching them was like watching a couple in courtship . . . for 25 years. They were inseparable. I knew exactly what I wanted in my marriage by watching them.” Mackay continues, “I began to notice changes in their interaction. At first, they would watch TV alone. Which
was odd. They always did everything together. Then their conversations became short, loudly-spoken phrases. The depth of their interactions had ceased. And the emotional distance between them was growing.” Mackay was watching the effects of her mother’s hearing loss on her parents’ marriage. Ben and Karin were masters at connecting with each other. They enjoyed doing things together. At the end of a day apart, reuniting was treasured time. They always looked to each other for support on bad
AUDIOLOGY
Companionship is what we yearn for when we relate to others. But it is all built on a founda�on that starts with hearing.
SIMON AUDIOLOGY
Anne Simon, AuD
208-746-7022
1022 Bryden Ave SimonAudiology.com
6 | HEALTH BEAT 2021
days. Ben and Karin started out consciously finding ways to connect. A loving marriage blossomed. As the years went by, Ben and Karin’s connection skills grew. What started out as practice, became habit, then mastery. Karin’s hearing loss made communication a more effortful exercise. She didn’t hear Ben as well, and wasn’t aware of the subtle cues he employed to communicate. When she spoke, it was often too loud for Ben’s comfort. Ben was being pulled away from connection with Karin. Listening to her was uncomfortable. He no longer had the same level of acknowledgement. Karin was being pulled away because of the exertion necessary to communicate. “As someone who has worked with hearing loss for over 20 years, I have witnessed the devastating effect hearing loss has on husbands and wives,” said audiologist, Anne Simon, AuD, owner of Simon Audiology & Tinnitus, in Lewiston. “Hearing loss makes communication more difficult.”
When Karin addressed her hearing loss, it was a renewal for their marriage. “Caring for your hearing can transform lives. One of the great blessings of my work is to watch loving couples reunite,” said, Dr. Simon. Hearing is the sense most vital for relationships. If you or a loved one find conversation difficult, an audiologic evaluation is the best, next step. You have five senses that you experience life through. Why not experience life to the fullest? Call Simon Audiology & Tinnitus today to schedule your consultation! 208-7467022. Harmony in a marriage is built on turning toward rather than away from one another. Practice and mastery of interaction will lead you to the upper right corner and marriage harmony. Hearing loss can pull the arrows away from the right corner. Addressing hearing loss improves communication, reduces the effort to listen, brings loved ones closer together.
