Most people fail to address or even realize that they are suffering from hearing loss. While the implications are not readily understandable in the initial stages, hearing loss is a serious concern to your personal and professional life.

The symptoms of hearing loss are gradual, thus making it hard to detect, which can ultimately lead to consequences like permanent hearing loss and depression.

You should never leave the symptoms of hearing loss unattended. Let me tell you about the three types of hearing loss in brief.

The types of hearing loss are sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed (sensorineural + conductive) hearing loss. The causes and symptoms of each vary slightly, and so does the treatment. Treatment options include hearing aids, implantable devices, and surgical procedures.

Reasons you should not ignore hearing loss

Here are the three reasons that will change your perception about hearing loss and improve the quality of life even if you are affected by it.

Hearing Loss Can Affect Your Brain Directly

Recent studies by the medical community have proven that auditory difficulties can result in brain atrophy, which means there are special areas in the brain that are dedicated to processing sound signals received through nerves. Hearing loss can reduce their efficiency significantly, thus causing difficulties in comprehending speech and other cognitive skills.

On the other hand, the risk of dementia is also increased. This disorder further results in memory loss, personality changes, and impaired reasoning.

So you should act quickly to correct your hearing loss by considering the various treatment options that are available.

Impact on Social Life and Relationships

When an individual suffers from hearing loss then he or she avoids social interaction. This is especially true for children who experience hearing loss at a young age and avoid their peers. In the later stages of life, it can disrupt your relationship with family and friends when you struggle to communicate your feelings.

Treating hearing loss as soon as it occurs can prevent these consequences altogether. If it cannot be cured completely, then hearing aids will come to your rescue. A recent study has found that 73% of individuals with hearing loss, and 41% of their relatives, believed that their family relationships improved once they started wearing such aids.

A decrease in Productivity and Income

Let’s consider that your boss just gave you an important assignment to work upon. You followed most of his instructions but missed out on crucial details about this task. And it cost you your job!

As I said earlier in this blog, hearing loss has been linked to our cognitive abilities. Concentration and productivity are lost gradually and if the symptoms are left untreated, then you will surely lag behind in your career.

Before applying to a new job, you should get a hearing test done to prevent embarrassment later on. If you happen to realize it after joining the office, then disclose the same to your employer and seek medical help immediately.

Summing it up

Hearing loss is a medical condition that can be tackled effectively due to advances in technology. You may avoid surgical procedures and use hearing aid devices instead. Assistive listening devices (ALDs) are also becoming more common nowadays. They separate the sounds, particularly speech, that a person wants to hear from background noise.

I hope that after reading this article you will give a higher priority to the symptoms of hearing loss and act accordingly. Good luck!