Have you resisted the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you feeling like your hearing loss is not that bad at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
Even if you feel like you’re doing ok at the moment, your hearing loss could catch up with you – and if it does, it could potentially cost you more than $30,000 a year. Not having part of your hearing means you might miss important work or medical details and opportunities, and you may end up hurting yourself physically, as well.
Lost opportunities and unemployment
Your job performance will be effected if you’re not hearing everything you need to. Your inability to hear coworkers could cause a breakdown in relationships and you could get passed over on opportunities for upcoming projects because you failed to follow instructions on past projects. You could wind up being overlooked by people at all levels if you become socially isolated at work. You may not be capable of reaching your full earning potential as these “small” things multiply over time. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss according to research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also indicates that individuals with untreated hearing loss have a higher risk of being unemployed. A neglected profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater risk of being unemployed. So, as the years pass, neglected hearing loss could end up costing you lot’s of money.
Falls will cost you even more in medical bills
Neglected hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to fall. One study found that even those with mild neglected hearing loss increase their danger of falling by 300%. also, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers believe there might be a connection between the level of hearing loss and how it impacts that system. Or, it may also be possible that somebody with neglected hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And of course, those falls result in more medical bills, and consequently more cash out of your pocket.
Worse health consequences
But there’s more to it than only that. If you can’t hear well, you could miss instructions from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you may end up having worse consequences in health matters, thus resulting in more costs and more problems. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Over time, considerably increased medical costs will result from neglected hearing loss according to numerous studies. In one study, it was revealed that these people will have a 40% increased chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out over $20,000. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina revealed that neglected hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month period.
Moderate to severe untreated hearing loss can result in a substantially increased risk of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So it’s time for a hearing examination if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. You may need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll probably be fairly surprised. Hearing aids nowadays are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to use, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better in all respects.
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