Have your friends, family, and co-workers been requesting that you invest in 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 fine right now, your hearing loss might get a lot worse – and if it does, it might possibly cost you more than $30,000 a year. Not only could you end up injuring yourself by dismissing your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by not hearing important medical or work details.
Unemployment and missed opportunities
If you don’t hear everything you need to, it will ultimately impact your performance at work. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a breakdown in relationships and you could get passed over on opportunities for future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on previous projects. If you become socially secluded at work, you could end up overlooked by people at every level of the company. These ”little” things compound over time and affect your ability to attain your full earning potential. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss as reported by research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also higher for people with untreated hearing loss, according to another study. An untreated profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher chance of being unemployed. So, as time passes, letting your hearing loss go unattended may end up costing you lot’s of money.
Extra medical bills due to falls
You’ll have a higher chance of having a fall if you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. The risk of falling is raised by 300% for people who have even slight untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. And, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The vestibular system manages balance and researchers believe there might be a connection between the amount of hearing loss and how it impacts that system. Or, it might also be possible that somebody with neglected hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And of course, those falls lead to more medical expenses, and thus more money out of your pocket.
Increased general health problems
But that isn’t it. You could be missing some of the guidance from your doctor if you have untreated hearing loss. When it involves your health, you could have negative outcomes if you miss information and that can result in increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the result. Multiple studies have linked untreated hearing loss to considerably increased medical costs over time. 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 pay out over $20,000. The University of South Carolina published a study that indicated a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for people with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month 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 it’s time for a hearing assessment if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. Depending on the results of that test, you might have to invest in hearing aids. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Hearing aids these days are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to wear, and sound clear. 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