Have your family, friends, and co-workers been requesting that you invest in hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Do you think that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not missing enough to justify buying one?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you up to $30,000 each year, even if you think that it’s fine right now. Going without a portion of your hearing means you might miss significant work or medical details and opportunities, and you may end up injuring yourself physically, as well.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
If you do not hear everything you’re supposed to, it will eventually impact your performance at work. You could get passed up for future projects because you couldn’t hear instructions on past work, or your relationship with co-workers may have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. If you become socially isolated at work, you could end up overlooked by people at all levels of the company. You may not be able to reach your max earning potential as these “small” things multiply over time. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than people with neglected hearing loss as reported by research done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also indicates that individuals with neglected hearing loss have a higher chance of being unemployed. Individuals who don’t address their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, might cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
Neglected hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to fall. The danger of falling increases by 300% for people who have even minor neglected hearing loss as reported by one study. also, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The researchers speculated that there could be a link between the degree of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that individuals with greater impairment just became more caught up in compensating for the loss than paying attention to particular physical dangers. And when you have a fall it often results in an expensive trip to the doctor.
Increased general health problems
But there’s more to it than just that. If you are unable to hear well, you might miss information from your doctor. When it comes to your health, you could have negative results if you miss details and that can produce increased health costs. All of these incidents add up to a major financial gap. Over time, significantly higher medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. One study noted the average increase was more than $20,000 over a ten year period and that these individuals were 40% more likely to end up in the emergency room. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina indicated 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 profound hearing loss had a substantially higher chance of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to get your hearing tested. You might need hearing aids depending on the test results. You will probably get a pleasant surprise if you do. Contemporary hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your overall life better by taking advantage of this wonderful 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
