Are hearing aids really worth the expense? The cost is frequently a worry for individuals who have hearing loss. You wouldn’t choose homelessness above investing in a new house. The actual value of hearing aids is about a lot more than the cost.
You really need to ask yourself what the consequences of not purchasing hearing aids will be and what the real value of getting hearing aids is.” If you decide not to purchase hearing aids, there will be a financial cost, in fact. Your decisions should also factor in these expenses. Bear in mind some good reasons why buying hearing aids will save you money long term.
You Will End Up Spending More For Deciding on Cheaper Hearing Aids
While searching the hearing aids market, you will probably come across cheaper devices which seem to be less costly. You could even purchase a hearing aid from the internet that cost less than a dinner.
Regarding over the counter hearing aids, you get what you pay for. When you buy these devices, you’re in reality purchasing an amplification device like earbuds, not an actual hearing aid. All of the sounds around, including ones you don’t want to hear, are amplified.
Customized programming is the best feature of a high-quality hearing aid, that you won’t get if you buy a low-cost hearing device. You can attain an excellent sound by having a quality hearing aid programmed to target your specific hearing needs.
The batteries in over the counter hearing aids are also cheap. It becomes very expensive when you have to keep swapping out dead batteries. If you use the amplification device regularly, you might possibly end up changing the battery up to a couple of times per day. You’ll have to bring extra batteries around because they will usually die when you most need them. Do you actually save money if you have to exchange dead batteries every day?
Higher quality hearing aids last a lot longer because they have more efficient electronics. Some even come with rechargeable batteries, getting rid of the need for repeated replacements.
Career Problems
Choosing to not wear hearing aids, or using cheap ones will be costly at work. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal states that people that have hearing loss don’t earn as much money – as much as 25 percent less, and often have a hard time keeping a job at all..
Why? Communication is essential in every job and among the many factors involved, that one is dominant. You have to be capable of hearing what your boss says so that you can give good results. You should be capable of listening to customers so that you can assist them. If you spend the entire discussion attempting to figure out what words people are saying, you’re probably missing the whole content. Simply put, if you cannot participate in conversations, it’s very hard to excel at work.
The ordeal of trying to hear on the job will take it’s toll on you physically, as well. Even if you are able to get through a day with compromise hearing, the stress that comes with worrying about whether you heard something right and the energy necessary to make out as much as possible, will cause you to be fatigued and stressed out. Some impacts of stress:
- Your immune system
- Health of your relationships
- Your overall quality of life
- Your ability to sleep
All of these have the chance of affecting your work performance and lowering your income as a consequence.
Needing to go to the ER more often
There are safety issues that come with hearing loss. It will be hazardous for you to drive a vehicle or cross the street if you don’t use quality hearing aids. If you’re unable to hear something, how can you avoid it? And you risk missing a public warning alert system including a smoke alarm or severe storm warning alert.
For numerous jobs, hearing is necessary for workplace safety like construction sites or production factories. So your safety, and your career options, will be limited if you don’t use the quality hearing aids you require.
You also should take into consideration financial safety. Did the server say that you owe 25 or 85 dollars? What did the salesperson say about the features of the tv you’re looking at and do you require them? Perhaps the lower priced style would be all you would need, but it is difficult to know if you’re unable to hear the person discuss the difference.
Brain Health
The increased chance of dementia is one of the most critical issues with hearing loss. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that each year people spend as much as 56,000 dollars treating Alzheimers disease.11 billion dollars annually is spent in medicare costs to treat dementia.
The risk of getting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is a risk factor linked to hearing loss. It is calculated that someone with severe, untreated hearing loss increases their possibility of brain impairment by five fold. A modest hearing loss carries three times the chance of ending up with dementia, and even a minor hearing issue doubles your chances. Hearing aids mitigate these dangers.
Of course, there is a cost to purchasing hearing aids. If you analyze all the concerns that come with not getting one or buying a lower quality device, it’s unquestionably a sound financial choice. Schedule an appointment with your hearing care specialist right away.