Hearing impairment and daily-life fatigue: a qualitative study.
Jack A Holman, Avril Drummond, Sarah E Hughes and 1 others
PMID 31032678WHAT IT FOUND
Not all adults with hearing impairment reported fatigue, but some linked it to extra listening effort, frustration and stress, and tinnitus-related sleep loss.
They used breaks, withdrawal, avoidance and planning; hearing aid users said aids lessened fatigue.
Key findings
01Some participants described hearing impairment as a major fatigue issue, while a few did not experience hearing-related fatigue at all.
02Extra mental effort in conversation, including concentration and watching lips and body language, was described as causing tiredness.
03When asked directly, every participant who experienced hearing-related fatigue said wearing hearing aids lessened that fatigue.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Fourteen participants is a small qualitative sample, so the themes may not apply to all adults with hearing impairment. The age range was 44 to 70 years, and the paper notes this was somewhat limited. Participants were recruited from a department database of previous study participants, which may favour people who are more outgoing, motivated or have lifestyles that allow research participation. One researcher generated most initial codes before another assessed them, which deviated from the usual thematic analysis method. Participants were not followed up to comment on transcripts or findings. The hearing aid fatigue benefit was reported only after prompting, so it may be small or less important than other benefits.
Declared interests
The Medical Research Council and the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government funded the work. The paper says the funder had no role in study design. No author conflicts are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as proof that hearing aids reduce fatigue. The benefit was reported only after direct questioning, and the study gives no measured change in fatigue.