Have your family, friends, and co-workers been requesting that you invest in hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Are you feeling that presently you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to justify purchasing one?
If your hearing continues to worsen, it could cost you up to $30,000 per year, even if you think that it’s fine for now. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by dismissing your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by not hearing important medical or work information.
Unemployment and missed opportunities
If you don’t hear everything you’re supposed to, it will ultimately impact your work performance. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a breakdown in relationships and you could get passed over on opportunities for future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on past projects. You could wind up going unnoticed by people at every level if you become socially isolated at work. You may not be able to reach your full earning potential as these little things add up over time. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that people with untreated hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who treated their loss of hearing.
Unemployment rates are also higher for individuals with neglected hearing loss, according to other research. People who don’t address their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. So, as the years pass, letting your hearing loss go unattended could wind up costing you lot’s of money.
Additional medical bills from falls
Untreated hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to fall. One study found that even those with mild untreated hearing loss raise their risk of falling by 300 percent. And, for every 10 dB increase in hearing impairment, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers think there might be a link between the level of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it might also be possible that someone with untreated hearing loss simply gets lost in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And of course, those falls result in more medical bills, and thus more cash out of your pocket.
Increased general health issues
But that isn’t it. If you are unable to hear well, you could miss instructions from your physician. If you miss information from your doctor, you might end up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more issues. All of these incidents add up to a significant financial gap. Numerous studies have connected neglected hearing loss to substantially increased medical expenses over time. In one study, it was reported that these individuals will have a 40% higher chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out over $20,000. The University of South Carolina released a study that indicated a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for people with untreated hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University suggested that people with untreated moderate to profound hearing loss had a significantly higher chance of death.
So it’s time for a hearing assessment if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. Depending on the test results, you might need to get hearing aids. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Contemporary hearing aids are extremely clear and comfortable. Make your total 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