The Effects of Untreated Hearing Loss

“What?”, “Huh?”, “Pardon me?”, “Would you mind repeating what you said? I couldn’t understand you.”

If you or one of your friends or family members has a hearing loss, then these phrases will be very familiar to you!

Many hearing impaired people are aware that their hearing has deteriorated but are reluctant to seek help. Maybe it’s just that they don't want to acknowledge the problem, are embarrassed by what they see as a weakness, or believe that they can "get by" without using a hearing aid. According to hearing loss charity Action on Hearing Loss, people take on average 10 years to address the effects of hearing loss before getting seeking help.

But time and again, research shows us that untreated hearing loss can have a negative impact on social life, psychological well-being, cognitive ability and our overall health. Each can have far-reaching implications that go well beyond hearing alone. In fact, those who have difficulty hearing can experience such distorted and incomplete communication that it seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, at times leading to isolation and withdrawal.

Studies have linked untreated hearing loss effects to:

• fatigue, tension, stress and depression
• irritability, negativism and anger
• social rejection and loneliness
• avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
• reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
• impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• reduced job performance and earning power
• diminished psychological and overall health 

Fortunately, hearing loss is treatable.  Hearing aids are currently the best option for individuals suffering from hearing loss, allowing them to hear many of the sounds they have been missing. Many different types of hearing aid are available, packed full of fantastic features and paying a visit to your local audiologist would allow you to better understand what options are available.

The Emotional Stages of Hearing Loss

Experiencing a myriad of emotions from denial, sadness and fear to eventually acceptance, is normal and a natural part of the emotional stages of hearing loss.

Here are the stages that one with hearing loss goes through, as I see it...

STAGE ONE | DENIAL

When normal hearing begins to decline, a natural reaction is for the person to compensate by trying to alter their environment to suit their loss. They may turn up the volume on the TV or radio disregarding complaints from their family members. They may ask their partners to answer the phone thereby avoiding the embarrassment of not being able to understand whoever is on the other end. They may blame others instead of acknowledging their hearing loss  i.e. “If people didn’t mumble, I would be able to hear them!”

STAGE TWO | WITHDRAWL

Hearing loss causes a person psychological hurt and grief. Over time, it also causes intolerance to social interactions, and reduced stimulation to the auditory system can result in a rapid decline of speech recognition. A way to deal with this is to avoid embarrassing situations, such as social occasions where there are likely to be lots of people or background noise.

STAGE THREE | ANGER

A hearing loss left untreated can cause the person suffering to become bad-tempered and the family may say he/she has become difficult to live with.

The person becomes less tolerant of others because of the frustrations and comments focused upon them.

STAGE FOUR | DEPRESSION

All these factors can eventually lead to the person becoming depressed. Low self-esteem, the loss of social interaction, suspicion of others, the inability to do easily what used to be problem free, isolation and loneliness become a part of daily life that wears the person down. It’s really tiring!

STAGE FIVE | ACCEPTANCE

When a person finally reaches this stage, they can then make the transition to seeking treatment with hearing aids, and auditory rehabilitation. A visit to a qualified audiologist will be the first stage on the road to hearing well again and ‘getting their life back’. A thorough test will be performed and hearing instruments prescribed where suitable. It can take up to ten years for someone to reach this stage.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Which stage are you or your loved one at? How long did the process take you? Please let me know your experiences by posting in the comments box below.

For more information on hearing loss please visit www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk