Hearing Loss: The Untreated Impairment

Hearing loss is an impairment that many people don’t treat until long after they know they have it. People wait on average 7 to 10 years after noticing a problem to finally get it checked out. Others may recognize a problem with their hearing, visit an audiologist, and then delay getting ​hearing aids.

When you put off better hearing, you don’t just miss out on conversations. You also become more susceptible to depression, anxiety and social withdrawal as a result of your diminished hearing. Hearing loss can also lead to dementia and Alzheimer's, excessive fatigue, and an increased risk of falling and hospitalization.

Hearing Loss Affects Your Finances

With hearing loss, it’s not just your physical and mental health that suffers. Untreated hearing loss can also affect your finances. More than half of the Americans with hearing loss are in the workforce, and when a person’s communication is compromised due to hearing loss, their job performance often suffers as well. A national study by the ​Better Hearing Institute found people can lose as much as $30,000 per year as a result of untreated hearing loss in the workplace.

Missing Conversations

Without assisted listening devices like hearing aids or cochlear implants, a person with hearing loss will strain to hear conversations between coworkers, in meetings, and on the phone. This strain leads to fatigue, frustration and stress, all of which impact job performance.

When Job Performance Depends On Hearing Well

What happens when your job depends on how well you hear? What if you can’t hear an alarm, a safety warning, or the information that you need to successfully close a deal? Not being able to hear can lead to poor job performance, lower performance reviews, being passed up for promotions,  and lower compensation.

Billions Of Dollars Lost To Hearing Impairment

This same study by the ​Better Hearing Institute found that underemployment of people with hearing impairment led to a combined annual loss of a whopping $176 billion!

People with hearing impairment are perfectly capable of working hard, and working well. But doing good work while trying to compensate for being unable to hear well is extremely difficult. And it’s something that is easily rectified with assisted listening devices.

Visit a Doctor of Audiology Today

So what can you do to make sure your pocketbook isn’t being affected by diminished hearing? ​Schedule a free consultation with a doctor of audiology today to get your hearing tested, and work with them to make sure you continue to hear well for years to come.