Hearing loss is the 3rd most common health condition facing older adults in the US. However, only 20% of those individuals who would benefit from treatment actually seek professional help. Shockingly, it can take a person up to 10 years to get treatment.
In the meantime, hearing loss can impact many areas of a person’s life. Today, we look at how hearing loss can affect your work-life.
How Hearing Loss Can Affect Your Work-Life
The Americans with Disabilities Act protects you from any workplace discrimination due to a hearing loss. But here we will explain how – left untreated, your hearing loss is making your work-life more challenging. It may even be posing a risk to your earning potential.
- Less Confident – You may be worried about simple miscommunications due to guessing what has been said, having to ask others to repeat themselves (especially if it’s more than once) or managing feelings of being overwhelmed when several people are speaking at once. This causes stress and fatigue.
- Depression and Anxiety – It’s common for those with low confidence to feel socially isolated. Over time, this may also contribute to depression and anxiety.
- Difficulty Communicating – Many jobs require good communication skills in order to succeed. You may be hindering your performance if your hearing loss prevents you from communicating effectively.
The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Earning Potential
To seek answers to this popular query, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) conducted a study called ‘The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income’. Their specific purpose was to “quantify the relationship between treated and untreated hearing loss and income.”
It was a large study looking at data from 40,000+ households. “Heads of households” included a mixture of respondents labeled as either: having a hearing loss and using hearing aids, having an untreated hearing loss, or being without a hearing loss.
A clear conclusion was derived from the results; hearing loss has a significant impact on earning potential. Here’s how:
- The estimated cost in lost earnings due to untreated hearing loss is $122 billion”
- “Hearing loss was shown to negatively impact household income on-average up to $12,000 per year depending on the degree of hearing loss
- The use of hearing instruments was shown to mitigate the [income] effects of hearing loss by 50%
The BHI study found that with the intervention of hearing aids, the risk of lost income reduced by 90-100% in those with a mild hearing loss. This rose to 65-77% in those with moderate to severe hearing loss.
Have a Question? Want to Get Your Hearing Checked? Contact Us Today!
Seeking treatment for a hearing loss will help to minimize the impact that it can have on your work-life. Don’t delay, book an appointment with the team at Hearing Balance & Speech Center. Give us a call on 203-774-5642 or book a consultation with us today.