Have you found that you are having to ask people to repeat themselves more often than not? Asking every now and then is normal but when this becomes commonplace, it is one of the most common signs of undiagnosed hearing loss.
Hearing loss can sneak up on you because it often develops slowly over time, starting as a subtle strain and developing into a major issue, affecting successful communication, energy level, mood and quality of life. It is important to go out of your way to deal with any potential hearing loss that may develop before it can start to instigate many more dangerous side effects.
Hearing Loss and Relationships
While hearing loss is a hearing issue it actually affects communication. When you struggle to communicate due to hearing loss, even the most dear and close relationships can be affected. A British firm reported in 2017 that marriages where one partner had severe hearing loss ended in divorce at four times the rate of the population norm. This is because constant miscommunications can slowly degrade intimacy as resentment builds.
Hearing Loss at Work
Similarly hearing loss can affect your performance at work. When constant miscommunications lead you to drop the ball or make mistakes at work regularly eventually co-workers and employers will come to rely on you less and less. This can affect your earnings and chances for promotions at work. In fact, it is estimated that untreated hearing loss can decrease one’s annual income by as much as $30,000. While hearing loss is considered a disability which employers are required not to discriminate against, if you have not diagnosed your hearing loss then these protections may not be in place.
Hearing Loss and Emotional, Physical and Mental Health
When your relationships continue to grow more and more distant and you are less valued at work, your emotional health can suffer. It can be extremely exhausting and frustrating to struggle through conversations all day. Many people with hearing loss grow depressed, anxious around social interactions and choose to isolate. As isolation further fuels depression, people are less likely to stay active, focus on their physical health and become mentally under stimulated. This lack of stimulation for the mind over time can actually cause the brain to atrophy, raising the risk of developing dementia, significantly.
Risk to Physical Health
People who live with untreated hearing loss are less aware of their surroundings. They may miss alarms, or warning sounds that can alert around oncoming danger. Healthy hearing not only helps you hear sounds, but allows you to determine the location, speed and proximity to you. When your hearing declines it is more difficult to determine these important audio cues. You may miss the sound of a dog collar rattling in your home and trip into your dog. You may also fail to detect a biker or on coming vehicle approaching from out of view. Reuters Health reports that people who with compromised hearing may be almost twice as likely to experience an accidental injury as individuals with excellent or good hearing. The risk of fall, accident or hospitalization increases as hearing loss becomes more severe.
Benefits of Treating Your Hearing Loss
While the negative side effects of hearing loss are alarming, the good news is that hearing loss is incredibly treatable. Countless studies have found that when you treat hearing loss the negative effect on relationships, your performance at work, the effects on mental and physical and emotional health all improve.
While hearing loss can in most cases not be reversed, hearing aids can amplify the sounds around you, making them clear and detectable. You no longer have to struggle to hear conversations and can feel confident to explore the world on your own.
Countless surveys reveal that more than 8 out of 10 hearing aid wearers experience less physical and mental exhaustion, better sleep, less depression and better memory than non-wearers, as well as improved family relationships.
Schedule a Hearing Test Today!
The first step to treating hearing loss is scheduling a hearing test. Once we understand the extent of your hearing loss you can make an educated decision around dealing with your hearing health. The benefits to using hearing aids are too important to ignore. Make an appointment today and get ready to enrich your life significantly!