Nearly 40 million Americans over the age of 18 have hearing loss. When left untreated, hearing loss often leads to social isolation and an increased risk of depression. You’ll struggle to hear what’s being said and feel like you’re always missing out. A common thing that people with hearing loss say is that everyone around them seems to be mumbling. Actually, there are very few people who mumble, but as one looses parts of their hearing capabilities it really does sound to them that people are mumbling when in reality they are not. You may even start to stay home a lot more than you used to, since when you meet friends for dinner you get so easily confused by all the conversations going on around you and feel embarrassed that you don’t know what’s going on, missed the punchline of another joke, or answered inappropriately when someone asked you a question.

Those with hearing loss often withdraw from social situations and start to distance themselves from friends and family. Treating hearing loss gives you back your ability to interact with your loved ones, participate fully in conversations, and get back to doing the activities that make you happy.

You might think that hearing loss is just about your ears. The truth is, living with hearing loss affects much more than that.

Missing or mishearing car horns, alarms, or warning bells can be risking your personal safety and physical health. Not only that, but numerous studies have shown that hearing loss drastically increases your chances of slips and falls, since not being able to hear lowers your environmental awareness.

Do you know that those with hearing loss are three times more likely to fall than those with normal hearing? Our National Council on Aging says that “falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans,” but treating hearing loss will improve your balance, and lower your risk of falls and injury by improving awareness and balance.

Do you think that hearing loss only affects you at home? The sad truth is that living with untreated hearing loss can have some serious consequences when it comes to your career. A recent study carried out by researchers at the Better Hearing Institute looked at how hearing loss affects you on the job, and the results will shock you. They found that those with hearing loss earned up to $30,000 less per year than those with normal hearing! Not only that, but they were twice as likely to be fired or unemployed than their hearing peers. Hearing loss affects your ability to communicate with your boss and your coworkers, impedes your job performance, and can even be a safety hazard on the jobsite.



Hearing aids can change that. The same Better Hearing Institute study also looked at adults who treated their hearing loss with hearing devices and found that they weren’t at higher risk of losing their jobs or earning a lower wage but were treated the same as their hearing colleagues.

Living with untreated hearing loss can have a major impact on your brain. You might not think it’s a big deal now, but the longer you live with hearing loss, the worse it will be for your brain.

Hearing loss has been linked to declines in cognitive abilities like concentration and memory, as well as rapid brain shrinkage and even dementia. If you want to keep your brain sharp, treat your hearing loss sooner rather than later, and don’t wait until after your brain has changed.