Have your friends, family, and co-workers been asking you to get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly resisting? Do you think that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to justify getting one?
If your hearing continues to worsen, it could cost you up to $30,000 each year, even if you assume that it’s fine for now. Going without part of your hearing means you could miss significant work or medical details and opportunities, and you may end up hurting yourself physically, as well.
Lost opportunities and unemployment
If you don’t hear everything you need to, it will eventually effect your performance at work. You could get passed up for 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 overlooked by people at all levels of the company. You might not be capable of reaching your max earning potential as these little things add up over time. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that people with neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who dealt with their loss of hearing.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. People who don’t treat their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be 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 falling if you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. One study found that even individuals with mild neglected hearing loss increase their risk of falling by 300%. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing impairment, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The vestibular system manages balance and researchers believe there might be a link between the level of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be possible that somebody with neglected hearing loss just gets lost in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And obviously, those falls lead to more medical expenses, and consequently more money out of your pocket.
Worse health consequences
But there’s more to it than just that. You may be missing some of the guidance from your doctor if you have neglected hearing loss. When it comes to your health, you could have worse results if you miss information and that can produce increased health costs. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Over time, substantially increased medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to numerous studies. In one study, it was reported that these individuals will have a 40% higher risk of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out over $20,000. More recent research from the University of South Carolina suggested that untreated hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month time period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University suggested that individuals with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a considerably higher risk 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 results of that test. You will probably get a pleasant surprise if you do. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to use, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to improve your life in all aspects.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time
