Have you avoided the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you feeling like your hearing loss isn’t that severe right now and getting a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you as much as $30,000 each year, even if you think that it’s fine right now. 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 can’t hear everything you’re supposed to, it will eventually effect your performance at work. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a deterioration in relationships and you could lose opportunities for future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on past projects. You could wind up going unnoticed by people at all levels if you become socially secluded at work. These ”little” things add up over time and affect your ability to reach your full earning potential. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than people with neglected hearing loss according to a study done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to other research. An untreated profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher risk of being unemployed. So, as time passes, letting your hearing loss go unattended could end up costing you lot’s of money.
Extra medical bills due to falls
Neglected hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to fall. One study discovered that even people with mild untreated hearing loss increase their risk of falling by 300 percent. In addition, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers think there might be a connection between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be plausible that somebody with neglected hearing loss simply gets disoriented in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And when you have a fall it frequently leads to an expensive trip to the doctor.
Increased general health issues
But that’s not all. If you are unable to hear well, you could miss information from your doctor. When it comes to your health, you could have worse results if you miss details and that can lead to increased health costs. All of these occurrences add up to a significant financial gap. Over time, substantially increased medical expenses will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. In one study, it was reported that these people will have a 40% increased risk of visits to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out more than $20,000. More recent research from the University of South Carolina suggested that neglected hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month time period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University indicated that people with untreated moderate to profound hearing loss had a significantly higher chance of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both physically and financially, it’s time to get your hearing assessed. You may need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to use, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better in all aspects.
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References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time
