Have your family, friends, and co-workers been asking you to get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly resisting? Are you thinking that your hearing loss isn’t that severe at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
Even if you feel like you’re doing just fine at the moment, your hearing loss might get a lot worse – and if that happens, it might potentially cost you upwards of $30,000 per year. Not having part of your hearing means you might miss significant work or medical details and opportunities, and you could end up hurting yourself physically, too.
Lost opportunities and unemployment
Your work performance will be effected if you’re not hearing everything you should. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on past work, or your relationship with co-workers could have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. If you become socially isolated at work, you may be less noticed by people at every level of the company. These ”little” things add up over time and affect your ability to reach your full earning potential. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that individuals who have neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who dealt with their loss of hearing.
Research also indicates that individuals with neglected hearing loss have a higher risk of being unemployed. A neglected severe hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater chance of being unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, could cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
Additional medical bills from falls
You’ll have a higher chance of having a fall if you have neglected hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. One study revealed that even those with mild untreated hearing loss increase their danger of falling by 300%. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The researchers speculated that there could be a connection between the level of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that individuals who have greater impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than paying attention to particular physical hazards. And when you have a fall it often leads to an expensive trip to the doctor.
Worse health consequences
But that isn’t it. You may be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have untreated hearing loss. If you miss information from your doctor, you may end up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus resulting in more costs and more issues. A major financial gap will be the result. Over time, substantially higher medical costs will result from neglected hearing loss according to several studies. In one study, it was revealed that these individuals will have a 40% higher chance of visits to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out more than $20,000. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for individuals with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University suggested that individuals with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher chance of death.
So it’s time for a hearing exam if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. You may need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. Contemporary hearing aids are extremely clear and comfortable. Make your total life better by taking advantage of this amazing technology.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time
https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2022/july-hearing-loss-and-falls
