Most people know that Helen Keller was both deaf and blind. But did you know that she said her deafness was a more serious problem than her blindness?

She explained that her blindness separated her from the physical world - the objects around her - and that certainly caused problems. But her deafness separated her from people. Her hearing loss made it difficult (and often impossible) to understand what people were saying and thinking and feeling. Her hearing loss made it difficult for people to stay in touch with her, to ask her a question or to tell her a story. Helen Keller's hearing loss was a barrier between her and her family, friends and anybody else she wished to know and understand.

Fortunately, very few people with hearing loss are deaf, as Helen Keller was. But even a mild hearing loss can cause problems at school, at work and at home. Often these problems go unrecognized, but they are the hidden costs of hearing loss.

At School

Because we develop our speaking, reading and writing skills through hearing our language, hearing loss can interfere in all these areas. A hearing loss makes it more difficult to learn new vocabulary and new language concepts.

The role of hearing in developing language and academic skills is well recognized and any degree of hearing loss in children should be taken seriously. Audiologists and other professionals stress the need for early identification and early treatment.

At Work

Hearing loss in the workplace makes it more difficult to participate at meetings, to talk with clients on the telephone or to understand what fellow workers are saying. Imagine the implications when someone says “The meeting is on the 15th” and you show up on the 16th! Problems at work are another hidden cost of hearing loss.

Undetected hearing loss can cause the greatest problems. The person with the undetected hearing loss may confuse names, numbers and dates. He or she may be struggling just to understand what is said at a meeting. The undetected hearing loss can make someone look confused, uncooperative or at times stupid. (How could you possibly have thought the meeting was on the 16th? Everyone else heard me say it was on the 15th! Why don't you pay attention?)

At Home

As serious as these problems are at school and at work, perhaps the greatest problems occur at home. Hearing loss can cause a great deal of stress and friction among family members, especially when the hearing loss is undetected or untreated.

How often has a family member said “You only hear me when you want to,” or “why don't you pay attention to what I say anymore?”

How many people complain that their husband or wife turns the television up too loud - and the spouse insists that it's not? How many children finally decide it's just too difficult to communicate with Mom or Dad - and if Mom or Dad won't do something about it, why should they have to put up with it?

The barrier that hearing loss can place between a person and his family is another hidden cost of hearing loss. The stress and frustrations caused by hearing loss can lead to isolation and even divorce.

Indeed, hearing loss can cause more problems for the family and friends than it causes for the person with the loss. It places a hardship on everyone around the person with the loss. That hardship is much greater if the loss goes undetected or untreated. Someone who knows he has a hearing loss and refuses to get help doesn't affect only himself - he's actually creating unnecessary hardship for this family and friends.

The good news is that once a hearing loss is detected, a great deal of help is available today. Hearing aids have improved dramatically in just the past three years. The most important step, though, is up to the person with the hearing loss. That step involves deciding to do something about it, deciding to hear as well as possible. Until that step is taken the hidden costs of hearing loss will continue to control much of a person's life at school, at work and at home

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