Have your family, friends, and co-workers been requesting that you invest in hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Are you thinking that your hearing loss is not that severe at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you up to $30,000 per year, even if you assume that it’s fine right now. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by neglecting your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by missing important medical or work information.
Unemployment and lost opportunities
If you do not hear everything you need to, it will eventually impact your performance at work. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’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 may not be capable of reaching your max earning potential as these “small” things multiply over time. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute found that people with neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who dealt with their loss of hearing.
Research also indicates that people with neglected hearing loss have a higher chance of being unemployed. People who don’t treat their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. So, as the years pass, neglected hearing loss could wind up costing you lot’s of money.
Added medical bills from falls
Neglected hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The danger of falling increases by 300% for individuals who have even mild untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers believe there may be a connection between the degree of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it might also be plausible that someone with neglected hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. And of course, those falls result in more medical expenses, and thus more money out of your pocket.
Increased general health issues
But that isn’t it. You may be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have untreated hearing loss. When it comes to your health, you could have worse outcomes if you miss details and that can result in increased health costs. A major financial gap will be the consequence. Numerous studies have connected untreated hearing loss to considerably higher medical expenses over time. In one study, it was revealed that these individuals will have a 40% increased chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out over $20,000. More recent research from the University of South Carolina revealed that neglected hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month time period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University suggested that people with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a considerably higher risk of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to have your hearing examined. Depending on the test results, you may need to invest in hearing aids. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to use, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to improve your life in all respects.
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References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time