The thing about hearing loss is that it’s easy to disregard. You can deny it for years, compensating for poor hearing by turning up the volume on your TV or phone and forcing people to repeat themselves.

But on top of the tension this places on personal relationships, there are additional, hidden effects of untreated hearing loss that are not as conspicuous but more concerning.

Listed below are six possible consequences of untreated hearing loss.

1. Missing out

Hearing loss can cause you to lose out on important conversations and common sounds like birds chirping or the sound of rain on the rooftop. Ordinary household sounds continuously fade as your private world of sound narrows.

2. Anxiety and depression

A study by the National Council on the Aging discovered that individuals with untreated hearing loss age 50 and older were more likely to report depression, anxiety, and paranoia and were less social as compared to those who wore hearing aids.

Hearing loss can contribute to damaged relationships, anxiety, social isolation, and ultimately depression. Hearing loss can be upsetting and embarrassing and can have significant psychological effects.

3. Intellectual decline

Hearing loss can impact your thinking and memory. Johns Hopkins Medicine found that those with hearing loss encountered rates of cognitive decline 30-40 percent faster than people with normal hearing.

The rate of decline depends upon the intensity of hearing loss, but on average, those with hearing loss showed considerable impairment in cognitive ability 3.2 years sooner than those with normal hearing.

4. Listening fatigue

Listening requires energy and effort, and when you fight to hear certain words or have to constantly fill in the blanks, the additional effort is tiring. Individuals with hearing loss report greater levels of fatigue at the days end, in particular following long meetings or group activities.

5. Reduced work performance

The Better Hearing Institute discovered that, according to a survey of more than 40,000 households, hearing loss negatively influenced yearly household income by an average of as much as $12,000. The monetary impact was directly connected to the amount of hearing loss.

The results make sense. Hearing loss can lead to communication issues and mistakes on the job, limiting productivity, promotions, and in some cases taking people out of the job market.

6. Safety considerations

Individuals with hearing loss can fail to hear alarms, sirens, or other signals to potentially unsafe scenarios. They’re also more likely to have a history of falling.

According to a study from Johns Hopkins University, hearing loss has been linked to an increased risk of falling. Those with mild hearing loss were just about three times more likely to have a history of falling and the chance of falling increased as hearing loss became more serious.

The reality is hearing loss is not just a mild annoyance—it has a variety of physical, mental, and social effects that can considerably reduce an individual’s all-around quality of life. But the good news is that it’s virtually all preventable.

Most of the consequences we just discussed are the outcome of diminished sound stimulation to the brain. Modern day hearing aids, while not able to restore hearing entirely to normal, nevertheless can give you the amplification necessary to avert most or all of these consequences.

That’s why the majority of patients are content with their hearing aid’s overall performance. It allows them to effortlessly understand speech, hear without constantly struggling, and appreciate the sounds they’ve been missing for years.

Don’t risk the consequences—test the new technology and see for yourself how your life can improve.