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 is not that bad right now 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 assume that it’s fine right now. 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
If you don’t hear everything you’re supposed to, it will ultimately impact your performance at work. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a deterioration in relationships and you could get passed over on opportunities for upcoming projects because you failed to follow instructions on previous projects. You could end up going unnoticed by people at every level if you become socially secluded at work. These ”little” things compound over time and impact your ability to reach your full earning potential. People who are treating 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.
Research also indicates that people with untreated hearing loss have an increased chance of being unemployed. An untreated severe hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater risk of being 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 cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The danger of falling is raised by 300% for individuals who have even slight untreated hearing loss as reported by one study. also, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The researchers speculated that there might be a connection between the degree of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that individuals with more profound impairment simply became more caught up in compensating for the loss than paying attention to particular physical hazards. And obviously, those falls lead to more medical expenses, and thus more cash out of your pocket.
Increased general health issues
But that’s not all. If you can’t hear well, you could miss information from your doctor. When it comes to your health, you could have worse outcomes if you miss information and that can result in increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the result. Numerous studies have connected untreated hearing loss to significantly increased medical expenses over time. One study said 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. More recent research from the University of South Carolina revealed that untreated hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University suggested that individuals with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher risk of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both physically and financially, it’s time to get your hearing examined. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Hearing aids nowadays are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Make your overall life better by taking advantage of this amazing technology.
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References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time