Have you resisted the calls from family, friends, 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 justify buying one?
Even if you believe you’re doing ok right now, your hearing loss could get a lot worse – and if it does, it could potentially cost you more than $30,000 per year. Not only could you end up injuring yourself by dismissing your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by missing important medical or work information.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
If you don’t hear everything you need to, it will eventually impact your performance at work. You could get passed up for future projects because you didn’t follow instructions on previous work, or your relationship with co-workers may have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. You could wind up going unnoticed by people at every level if you become socially secluded at work. You might not be able to reach your full earning potential as these “small” things add up over time. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss as reported by research done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also indicates that individuals with neglected hearing loss have a higher chance of being unemployed. A neglected profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher chance of being unemployed. So, as time passes, neglected hearing loss could end up costing you lot’s of money.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
Neglected hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to have a fall. One study revealed that even those with mild untreated hearing loss raise their risk of falling by 300%. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The researchers speculated that there might be a link between the degree of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that individuals with greater impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than focusing on particular physical hazards. And obviously, those falls result in more medical expenses, and consequently more money out of your pocket.
Increased general health problems
But that isn’t it. You might be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have untreated hearing loss. When it involves your health, you could have negative results if you miss details and that can result in increased health costs. A major financial gap will be the result. Over time, substantially higher medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to numerous studies. In one study, it was reported that these individuals will have a 40% higher risk of visits to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out more than $20,000. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina indicated that neglected hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with untreated moderate to profound hearing loss had a considerably higher chance of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to get your hearing evaluated. You may need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll probably be fairly surprised. Contemporary hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your total life better by taking advantage of this wonderful 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