Hearing Loss Is No Joke

Hearing loss is no laughing matter. Hearing loss can cause stress, frustration, anxiety and depression. Untreated hearing loss has even been linked as a factor in the onset of dementia. But have you noticed that hearing loss also makes it harder to laugh at a joke? That’s not because you’ve lost your sense of humor along with your hearing. It’s because people with hearing loss have a difficult time understanding the punch line at the end of a joke. Have you ever found yourself with a group of people who laugh at the ending of a story—and you pretend that you “got it”? Jokes and humorous stories are funny because there’s a twist, or a wordplay at the end. That’s what makes the punch line funny—something unexpected happened. But it is just that change of direction that makes it difficult for someone with a hearing loss. Here’s an example of a punch line that’s a play on words. After reading it, imagine trying to hear it: Man: So I got these new hearing aids—I hear great with them. Friend: Really? What kind are they? Man: 3:30 Now that’s funny—provided you can hear each word clearly and therefore get the wordplay at the end. But when you have a hearing loss, you may not hear every single word and often you’re filling in. It’s very difficult to fill in on words that are a twist or a pun! So don’t be surprised if you find it difficult to “get” jokes. It’s your hearing, not your sense of humor. From our Hearing HealthCare News© A newsletter for our patients, their families and friends Fall 2015