Women's lived experiences of disabling hearing loss in daily life

Abstract

The aim of this study was to achieve a deeper understanding of what a moderate hearing loss means in daily life for middle-aged women. We used a phenomenological approach and interviewed ten women, 36–56 years old. From the analysis, one essential structure ‘Keeping in touch with life – a strain but a vital necessity’ and two interrelated themes – ‘Performing on the social scene’ and ‘Living the internal life’ emerged. The hearing loss changed their approach to daily life and relations to other people had become more demanding and challenging. Communication was interpreted by the women as their responsibility and involved feelings of unpredictability, uncertainty, stress and fatigue. The combination of the hearing loss, ill-health and the life situation at midlife, increased strains in daily life. Resources and competence in hearing rehabilitation need to be developed in order to meet the individual and long-term demands of these women and to prevent insufficient connections and ill-health.