Hearing and PD

Pearls for Parkinson's: Tips for Daily Living with PD. 

To watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sAm1DCxWj5g

Have you ever felt like conversations have become more difficult, especially in restaurants, family gatherings, or other noisy places?

Many people with Parkinson's are surprised to learn that it isn't always their hearing that's changed - it can be how the brain processes sound. Parkinson's can make it harder to filter out background noise, making conversations more tiring and sometimes frustrating.

In this week's Pearls for Parkinson's, we explore why listening can take more effort with Parkinson's and share simple strategies that can make communication easier, including:

• Reducing background noise
• Using visual cues like facial expressions and lip movements
• Simple ways to help others communicate more effectively with you

Sometimes, making conversations easier isn't about turning up the volume - it's about turning down the distractions.

Tune in for practical tips to help you stay connected with the people who matter most.

To support more programs like this: https://wiparkinson.app.neoncrm.com/forms/support-pearls4pd

Wisconsin Parkinson Association 
website: https://wiparkinson.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wiparkinson
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wiparkinson/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiparkinson/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Pearls for Parkinson's. Here is this week's Daily Living Tip. Welcome back to Pearls for Parkinson's. Today we're talking about hearing in Parkinson's. Have you ever walked into a busy restaurant and suddenly felt like everyone was talking at one time? You can hear the voices around you, but you can't quite pick out the person sitting across the table. Or maybe you're noticing that your hearing test is normal, but yet you still find yourself asking people to repeat themselves. Well, if that sounds familiar, today's pearl is for you. Many people don't realize that Parkinson's can affect more than just movement. It can affect the way that the brain processes sound. And hearing isn't just about your ears, it's also about what your brain does with the information that your ears receive. Think of it like this: imagine you're listening to your favorite radio station, but there are several other stations coming in at the same time. So the signal is there, but it's difficult to tune in to the one that you want. Parkinson's can make it difficult for the brain to filter out background noise and focus on the conversation that's most important. And this is why many people with Parkinson say, I can hear you, but I can't understand you. It's not necessarily that the volume is too low. Instead, the brain has to work much harder to separate one voice from another, process words quickly, and make sense of the conversation. And that extra effort can be mentally exhausting. You may notice this most in restaurants, family gatherings, maybe church or community meetings or anywhere that several conversations are happening at once. Fast talkers can be harder to follow as well. Same with television dialogue that can become more difficult to follow, even though the volume seems like it's loud enough. By the end of a social event, you might feel mentally drained. And it's not because you're not enjoying yourself, it's because your brain has been working overtime. The good news is there are several simple strategies that can help. The first one is that you want to reduce the background noise whenever possible. So turning off the television during conversations or choosing a quieter corner of the restaurant. So avoid sitting next to speakers or a busy kitchen. Giving your brain fewer computing sounds makes it much easier to focus on the person that you're with. Second, use your eyes as much as your ears. Face the person speaking and make sure that the room is well lit. We naturally rely on facial expression as well as lip movements and body language to help us to understand speech. And these visual cues become even more valuable when the auditory process slows. Third, don't be afraid to tell people what helps. Instead of saying, I can't hear, try saying, I understand you better when you face me and speak a little slower. Most people are happy to help. They simply just don't know what works best unless you tell them. If you're in a group, don't hesitate to guide the conversation. Asking people to speak one at a time isn't rude. It's a practical strategy. And when several people talking over each other, it becomes much harder for the brain to sort through all of that information. And finally, don't skip a hearing evaluation just because you have Parkinson's. We can't blame everything on Parkinson's. Parkinson's doesn't protect us from age-related hearing loss or occupational hearing loss. And many people experience both conditions together. If hearing loss is present, treating it with hearing aids or other strategies can help to reduce the amount of work your brain has to do just to follow a conversation. We often think of communication as something our ears do, but really it's something that our brains do. If conversations have become more tiring, it doesn't mean that you're not paying attention or that you've lost interest. It may simply mean that your brain is working harder behind the scenes. Sometimes making communication easier isn't about turning up the volume, it's about turning down the distractions. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit that like button, share it with a friend or a support group, and tune in next Monday for more Pearls for Parkinson's. The Wisconsin Parkinson Association is a grassroots organization funded by people like you. To support more local programming like this, visit wiparkinson.org.