Have you avoided the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you feeling that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to warrant purchasing one?
If your hearing continues to worsen, it could cost you up to $30,000 per year, even if you assume that it’s fine right now. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by dismissing your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by not hearing important medical or work information.
Unemployment and lost opportunities
Your job performance will be impacted if you’re not hearing everything you need to. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on previous work, or your interaction with co-workers may have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. If you become socially secluded at work, you could end up less noticed by people at every level of the company. These ”little” things compound over time and affect your ability to reach your highest earning potential. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss as reported by a study done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also indicates that individuals with neglected hearing loss have an increased risk of being unemployed. An untreated profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher risk of being unemployed. Not getting treatment, therefore, might cost you lot’s of money as time goes by.
Additional medical bills due to falls
Untreated hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The chance of falling increases by 300% for individuals with even slight untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing impairment, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The researchers conjectured that there could be a connection between the level of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which controls balance, or that individuals with more profound impairment just became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than paying attention to specific physical hazards. And of course, those falls lead to more medical bills, and consequently more money out of your pocket.
Increased general health problems
But there’s more to it than only that. If you are unable to hear well, you could miss instructions from your physician. When it comes to your health, you could have negative results if you miss details and that can produce increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the consequence. Over time, considerably increased medical expenses will result from neglected hearing loss according to numerous studies. In one study, it was revealed that these people will have a 40% higher chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out over $20,000. More recent research from the University of South Carolina revealed that untreated hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month time period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with untreated moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher chance of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to get your hearing tested. Depending on the test results, you might have to invest in hearing aids. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Modern hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your total life better by taking advantage of this fantastic technology.
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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
