Have you resisted the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally invest in a hearing aid? Do you think that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to justify purchasing one?
Even if you feel like you’re doing fine at the moment, your hearing loss might catch up with you – and if that happens, it might potentially cost you upwards of $30,000 a year. Not only could you end up injuring 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 aren’t hearing everything you need to. Your inability to hear coworkers could cause a breakdown in relationships and you could lose opportunities for future projects because you failed to follow instructions on past projects. If you become socially isolated at work, you could end up less noticed by people at all levels of the company. You may not be able to reach your full earning potential as these little things add up over time. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than people with neglected hearing loss as reported by a study done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also higher for individuals with neglected hearing loss, according to other research. Individuals who don’t treat their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. Not seeking treatment, therefore, could cost you a lot of money as the years go on.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
You’ll have a higher likelihood of having a fall if you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial setback. The chance of falling is raised by 300% for individuals who have even minor untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. 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 may be a connection between the amount of hearing loss and how it impacts that system. Or, it might also be possible that someone with untreated hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And when you fall it frequently leads to a costly trip to the doctor.
Worse health outcomes
But that’s not all. If you can’t hear well, you could miss information from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you could wind up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus resulting in more bills and more issues. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Over time, significantly higher medical expenses will result from neglected hearing loss according to numerous studies. One study said the average increase was more than $20,000 over a ten year period and that these people were 40% more likely to go to the emergency room. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare costs for people with untreated hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Moderate to profound untreated hearing loss can result in a significantly higher risk of death according to a study published by Johns Hopkins University.
So it’s time for a hearing test if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. Modern hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your overall 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
https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2022/july-hearing-loss-and-falls