People tend to spend a large portion of their life working. For a lot of people their job becomes something that they take pride in, are passionate about and becomes part of their identity. In 2010, an estimated 16 million people with hearing loss were employed in the United States. The scary thing to realize is that if you are living with untreated hearing loss it could seriously affect your success in the work.
Studies find that employees living with untreated hearing loss were paid less, were given fewer opportunities and were at a higher risk of losing their jobs entirely. People with hearing loss who were unemployed have been found to be more likely to stay unemployed. This is why if you suspect you are living with untreated hearing loss it is so important to make sure you don’t ignore your symptoms. Even so less than one in five people who could benefit from hearing aids choose not to wear them.
Fight for Your Career Dreams
The effects of hearing loss can cause people to lose the confidence they need to pursue and secede in achieving their goals and dreams at work. As your hearing starts to fade it becomes harder to hear what people are saying in professional and social settings at work. Most people know that the social aspect of work can often be just as essential for success at work as the job itself. When people struggle to hear at meetings and follow and add to conversations in person and on the phone, it can be exhausting. Your brain is forced to work overtime to fill in the blanks in conversation causing extreme fatigue at the end of every workday. When conversation becomes this difficult it is tempting to avoid conversation and speaking in front of or with large groups of people all together. Anxiety, depression and social isolation are likely to take hold when hearing remains consistently difficult. The important thing to remember is that even though hearing loss can rarely be reversed, hearing aids have been found, time and time again to help people keep up with conversations again and stay in the loop. Psychological effects of hearing loss may discourage some from pursuing their life goals and dreams.
Hearing aids are a solution to workplace worries
The use of hearing aids has been linked repeatedly to increases in earnings and productivity at work. Hearing aids are so helpful at restoring lost hearing loss that it almost seems foolish now to investigate your hearing options. If the cost of hearing aids is deterring you from regaining your earning power at work then entertain the idea that not wearing them will actually cost you more money. Hearing loss has been found to negatively impact household income on average up to $12,000 per year depending the severity of the hearing loss. This number is far higher than the cost of even the most state-of-the-art hearing aids out there. Not only that but the physical risks you are subjected to with untreated hearing loss can end up costing allot more than that. Untreated hearing loss can put you at a higher risk for falls, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and more.
Know your rights
While approximately 65 percent of those with hearing loss are below retirement age, it is important for employers to understand how to deal with employees with hearing loss. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees equal employment for those with hearing loss. This means that your employee is obligated by law to assist your hearing loss.
Stay secure with the help of a hearing care professional
The ADA has made the work place a much safer place to secede in if you are living with hearing loss. If you suspect that your job performance is being compromised by your hearing ability, don’t put off making an appointment for a hearing test. Once you know what kind of hearing loss you are living with then we at HearCare RI can help you find the best hearing aids so you can succeed in your job. Don’t put off dealing with your hearing another moment longer and get back to the work you love.