Hearing loss is not just an ailment of old age. It can strike at any time and any age. Many people are aware that their hearing has deteriorated but are reluctant to seek help. Perhaps they don't want to acknowledge the problem, are embarrassed by what they see as a weakness, or believe that they can "get by" without using a hearing aid. And, unfortunately, too many wait years (sometimes even decades) before getting treatment.
But time and again, research demonstrates the considerable negative social, psychological, cognitive and health effects of untreated hearing loss . . . with far-reaching implications that go well beyond hearing alone. In fact, those who have difficulty hearing can experience such distorted and incomplete communication that it seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, at times leading to isolation and withdrawal.
Studies have linked untreated hearing loss to:
- irritability, negativity and anger
- fatigue, tension, stress and depression
- avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
- social rejection and loneliness
- reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
- impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
- diminished psychological and overall health
- and as a recent study indicates, reduced job performance and earning power
People with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss, according to the latest national study by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). When hearing loss is left unaddressed it can pose significant barriers to productivity, job performance, career success and lifelong earnings. This loss in income for people with untreated hearing loss can be due to under-employment as well as unemployment.
The good news: the use of hearing aids has been shown to reduce the risk of income loss for individuals with all degrees of hearing loss! Unemployment rates also drastically drop from 15.6% for those with severe hearing loss that don’t wear hearing aids to 8.3% for those who do, much closer to the current unemployment rate of 7.8% for the normal-hearing population.
Unfortunately, hearing loss remains one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today, despite the fact that about 11 percent of the U.S. population has some degree of hearing loss - the vast majority of whom could benefit from today’s advanced hearing aids.
“The real tragedy in delaying hearing loss treatment is that when left unaddressed, hearing loss negatively affects individuals and their families for the rest of their lives in the form of lost wages, lost promotions, lost opportunities, lost retirement income and unrealized dreams,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD (executive director of the Better Hearing Institute). “But when people with even mild hearing loss use hearing aids, they improve their job performance, increase their earning potential, enhance their communication skills, improve their professional and interpersonal relationships, stave off depression and better their quality of life.”
If you think you or a loved one suffers from hearing loss, don't delay another day. Take BHI’s online hearing test to assess the need for a visit to a hearing healthcare professional. Take the first step toward a world of better hearing!
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