Hearing Loss and Your Job

Are you like many people who want to sweep the hearing issue under the rug and believe that their hearing loss does not affect their job performance? Well listen up. Untreated hearing loss has a big influence on household income, unemployment and career aspiration. With unemployment sky rocketing in the US it is important to deal with issues that could be holding you back from reaching your full potential. Hearing loss can not only affect the ability to communicate effectively but it can also affect self esteem, self confidence and overall mental health. Untreated hearing loss has been proven to cause depression, anxiety and stress.

One study of household income by Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D. (2005) showed "for America’s 24 million hearing impaired who do not use hearing instruments, the impact of untreated hearing loss is quantified to be in excess of $100 billion annually." Those subjects in this study who wore hearing devices proved that the effects of hearing loss could be mitigated by at least 50% thereby proving that hearing loss does not have to dictate earning potential. This study is available online at the Better Hearing Institutes's website http://www.betterhearing.org/ or Click Here for the direct link.

A survey in the UK showed four times the unemployment rate for hard of hearing workers vs normal hearing workers. Those surveyed stated that communication and telephone usage were both problematic in finding or maintaining work. Most disturbing of all the facts is that the likelihood of unemployment among hard of hearing and deaf workers has doubled compared to surveys done four years earlier. This article is available online at http://www.hearit.org/ or Click here for the direct link.

Another survey worth looking at is "Baby Boomer Hearing Loss Study." This was conducted by Clarity and the Ear Foundation (2006) and further supports the fact that hearing loss can affect communication with co-workers and on the phone at work (including cell phones). This survey can be viewed at http://www.clarityproducts.com/ or Click Here for a direct link.

This is just a small peek at the data that is available providing evidence that hearing loss can hinder career aspirations, earning potential and general satisfaction at work. Hearing loss is one of the most common health concerns in the US and is said to be the number one disability in the world. But it is treatable and doesn't have to hold you back from who you want to be.

Call an audiologist today. [Visit http://www.audiologist.org/ for a list of Doctors of Audiology in your area] Have your ears checked and take part in a demo of the latest hearing devices. Take the first step to a better life by including better hearing for life in your list of life goals. And take the journey to open your world up to the bigger world of sounds, people and living.

This blog posted by Suzanne Yoder, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology and owner of HearWell Center. Please visit our website for more information http://www.hearwellcenter.com/