Have you avoided the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally invest in a hearing aid? Are you feeling like your hearing loss isn’t that bad at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
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 neglecting your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by not hearing important medical or work information.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
Your job performance will be effected if you’re not hearing everything you need to. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on previous work, or your relationship with co-workers could have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. You could end up being overlooked by people at all levels if you become socially isolated at work. These ”little” things compound over time and impact your ability to attain your highest earning potential. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss as reported by research done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also higher for people with neglected hearing loss, according to other research. Individuals 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.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
Neglected hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The chance of falling is raised by 300% for individuals who have even minor neglected hearing loss as reported by one study. And, for every 10 dB increase in hearing impairment, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The researchers speculated that there could be a connection between the level of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that individuals who have greater impairment just became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than focusing on specific physical hazards. And when you fall it often results in an expensive trip to the doctor.
Worse health outcomes
But there’s more to it than only that. If you are unable to hear well, you might miss instructions from your physician. If you miss information from your doctor, you may end up having worse consequences in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more problems. A major financial gap will be the consequence. Over time, substantially increased medical expenses will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. 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 shell out over $20,000. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina suggested that neglected hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month time period.
Moderate to severe untreated hearing loss can result in a substantially increased risk of death according to a study published by Johns Hopkins University.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to have your hearing checked. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll probably be fairly surprised. Contemporary hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your total life better by taking advantage of this wonderful technology.
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
