Have you resisted the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally invest in a hearing aid? Are you feeling like your hearing loss isn’t that severe at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you as much as $30,000 each year, even if you think that it’s fine for now. Going without part of your hearing means you might miss significant work or medical details and opportunities, and you may end up injuring yourself physically, too.
Lost opportunities and unemployment
Your job performance will be effected if you’re not hearing everything you should. Your inability to hear coworkers could cause a deterioration in relationships and you could lose opportunities for future projects because you failed to follow instructions on previous projects. You could end up going unnoticed by people at all levels if you become socially isolated at work. You might not be capable of reaching your full earning potential as these little things add up over time. A study by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that people with neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who treated their loss of hearing.
Research also suggests that people with neglected hearing loss have a higher chance of being unemployed. An untreated profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater chance of being unemployed. So, as the years pass, letting your hearing loss go unattended may wind up costing you lot’s of money.
Added medical bills from falls
You’ll have a higher chance of having a fall if you have neglected hearing loss which can deal you another financial setback. The chance of falling increases by 300% for people who have even slight 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 manages balance and researchers believe there may be a link between the degree of hearing loss and how it impacts that system. Or, it might also be possible that someone with neglected hearing loss simply gets disoriented in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. And of course, those falls result in more medical expenses, and thus more cash out of your pocket.
Worse health outcomes
But that isn’t it. If you can’t hear well, you might miss information from your doctor. When it comes to your health, you could have worse results if you miss information and that can lead to increased health costs. A major financial gap will be the consequence. Several studies have linked untreated hearing loss to considerably increased medical costs over time. One study noted the average increase was more than $20,000 over a ten year period and that these people were 40% more likely to end up in the emergency room. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for people with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month time period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals 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. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Hearing aids nowadays are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to use, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better in all aspects.
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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
