Have your family, friends, and co-workers been asking you to get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly resisting? Are you feeling that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to justify purchasing one?
Even if you feel like you’re doing fine right now, your hearing loss might catch up with you – and if it does, it might potentially cost you upwards of $30,000 a year. Not having a portion of your hearing means you may miss important work or medical information and opportunities, and you could end up hurting yourself physically, too.
Unemployment and lost opportunities
If you can’t hear everything you need to, it will ultimately effect your work performance. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’t hear instructions on past work, or your interaction with co-workers may have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. You could end up being overlooked by people at every level if you become socially isolated at work. These ”little” things compound over time and affect your ability to attain your full earning potential. A study by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that people who have untreated hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who dealt with their hearing loss.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. Individuals who don’t treat their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. So, as time passes, letting your hearing loss go unattended may wind up costing you lot’s of money.
Falls will cost you even more in medical bills
You’ll have a higher chance of having a fall if you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial setback. The chance of falling increases by 300% for individuals who have even minor untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. also, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every added 10 dB of hearing loss. The researchers speculated that there might be a connection between the degree of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which controls balance, or that people with greater impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than focusing on specific physical dangers. And when you fall it often results in a costly trip to the doctor.
Increased general health problems
But there’s more to it than only that. If you are unable to hear well, you could miss information from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you might end up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more problems. All of these incidents add up to a huge financial gap. Numerous studies have connected untreated hearing loss to considerably higher medical expenses over time. 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 go to the emergency room. The University of South Carolina published a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare costs for individuals with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University indicated that people with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher risk of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to have your hearing checked. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Hearing aids these days are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to use, and sound clear. Make your overall 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