What to know about hearing health

Hearing Health: More Than Just Hearing

Better hearing affects more of your life than you might expect. Decades of research shows that hearing health is closely connected to your overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Studies have found links between untreated hearing loss and challenges such as balance problems and falls, reduced social engagement, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and cognitive health.

Relationships and Social Connection

Communication is the foundation of our relationships. When you hear well, you’re engaged in conversations and immersed in social situations. Healthy hearing can help reduce the risk of depression and social isolation, allowing you to stay fully involved with the people you care about.ⁱ

Brain Health and Memory

Hearing loss is linked to measurable changes in brain function, including increased listening effort which can slow thinking abilities, especially when trying to understand speech with background noise.ⁱⁱ Although some recent studies suggest that untreated hearing loss is linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, more research is needed to confirm causality.

Independence and Personal Safety

Being able to hear everyday sounds—like a phone ringing, a doorbell, alarms, or a child crying—helps you stay aware of your surroundings. Good hearing supports independence and helps you respond quickly to situations that affect your safety and the safety of those around you.

Health Care Costs

Treating hearing loss can have a real positive financial impact. People with untreated hearing loss experience significantly higher healthcare costs (46% higher over a 10-year period), with research also indicating higher risk of hospitalization, longer hospital stays, and readmission within 30 days.^iii,iv

Work Performance and Earning Potential

Bring your best self to work. Healthy hearing can support job performance and advancement by enhancing communication with colleagues and clients, reducing risks of workplace hazards, and decreasing listening fatigue.^v

Your Hearing Can Reveal More About Your Health

Your ears don’t just help you hear. They can also signal potential health concerns. Because hearing depends on good circulation, changes in hearing may sometimes be an early sign of underlying conditions such as diabetes^vi or cardiovascular disease^vii. A simple hearing test can help you stay informed, proactive, and aware of your overall health.

Signs of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss often happens gradually, making it easy to overlook at first. In fact, research shows that, on average, people wait three years after noticing signs of hearing difficulty before visiting a hearing care professional.

To support healthy hearing, schedule a professional hearing test if you notice any of the following:

Feeling like others are mumbling or speaking too softly
Difficulty hearing conversations on the phone
Responding incorrectly because you misunderstood what was said
Being told your TV or radio is too loud
Continuous ringing, roaring, or hissing sounds in your ears (known as tinnitus)
Trouble following conversations with more than two people
Frequently asking others to repeat themselves
Avoiding restaurants or crowded places due to difficulty hearing
Regularly canceling social plans due to fatigue from conversations

If you recognize one or more of these signs, it’s important to take the next step and reach out to a licensed hearing care professional.

Healthy hearing supports healthier living today.

i. Why depression and untreated hearing loss are linked. (2020). Retrieved 3 May 2022, from https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52437-The-complex-link-between-depression-and-hearing-loss

ii. Wingfield A, Peelle JE. How does hearing loss affect the brain? Aging health. 2012 Apr;8(2):107-109. doi: 10.2217/AHE.12.5. PMID: 27034704; PMCID: PMC4811604.

iii. Patients with Untreated Hearing Loss Incur Higher Health Care Costs Over Time: Johns Hopkins.” (2018) Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time

iv. Reed NS, Altan A, Deal JA, Yeh C, Kravetz AD, Wallhagen M, Lin FR. Trends in Health Care Costs and Utilization Associated With Untreated Hearing Loss Over 10 Years. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019

v. Jacobs, M., Tobener, E. N., & Ellis, C. (2025). Hearing loss and tinnitus: Association with employment and income among young adults. Frontiers in Audiology and Otology, 3, Article 1595281. https://doi.org/10.3389/fauot.2025.1595281

vi. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). Hearing loss. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/diabetes-complications/diabetes-and-hearing-loss.html

vii. Clason, Debbie. (2020) “Hearing Loss and Heart Disease.” Healthy Hearing, https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52833-Hearing-loss-and-heart-health