Commentary: listening can be exhausting--fatigue in children and adults with hearing loss

Anecdotal reports of fatigue after sustained speech-processing demands are common among adults with hearing loss; however, systematic research examining hearing loss-related fatigue is limited, particularly with regard to fatigue among children with hearing loss (CHL). Many audiologists, educators, and parents have long suspected that CHL experience stress and fatigue as a result of the difficult listening demands they encounter throughout the day at school. Recent research in this area provides support for these intuitive suggestions. In this article, the authors provide a framework for understanding the construct of fatigue and its relation to hearing loss, particularly in children. Although empirical evidence is limited, preliminary data from recent studies suggest that some CHL experience significant fatigue-and such fatigue has the potential to compromise a child's performance in the classroom. In this commentary, the authors discuss several aspects of fatigue including its importance, definitions, prevalence, consequences, and potential linkage to increased listening effort in persons with hearing loss. The authors also provide a brief synopsis of subjective and objective methods to quantify listening effort and fatigue. Finally, the authors suggest a common-sense approach for identification of fatigue in CHL; and, the authors briefly comment on the use of amplification as a management strategy for reducing hearing-related fatigue.