Have your family, friends, and co-workers been requesting that you invest in hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Do you think that presently you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to warrant buying one?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you up to $30,000 each year, even if you assume that it’s fine for now. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by neglecting your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by not hearing important medical or work details.
Unemployment and missed opportunities
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 couldn’t follow instructions on previous projects. If you become socially secluded at work, you could end up overlooked by people at all levels of the company. You may not be capable of reaching your max earning potential as these little things add up over time. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that individuals with neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who dealt with their loss of hearing.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. A neglected profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater chance of being unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, could cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
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 individuals with slight untreated hearing loss increase their risk of falling by 300%. In addition, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The vestibular system manages balance and researchers believe there may be a link between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be plausible that somebody with untreated hearing loss just gets lost in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And when you fall it often results in a costly trip to the doctor.
Increased general health issues
But that isn’t it. If you are unable to hear well, you might miss instructions from your physician. When it comes to your health, you could have negative results if you miss details and that can produce increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the result. Over time, significantly increased medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. 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. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina indicated that neglected hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month time period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University indicated that people with untreated moderate to profound hearing loss had a substantially higher risk of death.
So, if you’re interested in protecting yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to get your hearing examined. Depending on the results of that test, you may need to invest in hearing aids. If you do, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to improve your life in all aspects.
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