Have you avoided the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you thinking that your hearing loss isn’t that severe right now and getting 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. Not having part of your hearing means you could miss important work or medical details and opportunities, and you could end up injuring yourself physically, too.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
Your work performance will be effected if you aren’t hearing everything you should. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a breakdown in relationships and you could lose opportunities for future projects because you failed to follow instructions on previous projects. You could wind up being overlooked by people at every level if you become socially secluded at work. You may not be capable of reaching your full earning potential as these “small” 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 carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also higher for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. An untreated severe hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater chance of being unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, might cost you lot’s of money as the years go on.
Additional medical bills due to falls
You’ll have a higher likelihood of falling if you have untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial setback. The chance of falling is raised by 300% for people with 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 controls balance, or that individuals who have more profound impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than paying attention to specific physical hazards. And obviously, those falls result in more medical bills, and consequently more money out of your pocket.
Worse health consequences
But there’s more to it than just that. You could be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have untreated hearing loss. If you miss information from your doctor, you might wind up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus resulting in more costs and more problems. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Numerous studies have connected untreated hearing loss to significantly higher medical expenses over time. In one study, it was reported that these people will have a 40% increased risk of visits to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out more than $20,000. More recent research from the University of South Carolina indicated that untreated hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month time period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with neglected moderate to profound hearing loss had a significantly higher risk of death.
So it’s time for a hearing exam if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. Depending on the test results, you may need to invest in hearing aids. If you do, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to use, 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
