Have your family, friends, and co-workers been requesting that you invest in hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Are you feeling that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not missing enough to justify getting one?
If your hearing continues to worsen, it could cost you up to $30,000 each year, even if you assume that it’s fine right now. Not having part of your hearing means you might miss important work or medical details and opportunities, and you could end up injuring yourself physically, too.
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. You could wind up being overlooked by people at every level if you become socially isolated at work. These ”little” things add up over time and affect your ability to attain your highest earning potential. A study by the Better Hearing Institute found that people with neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who dealt with their hearing loss.
Unemployment rates are also higher for people with untreated hearing loss, according to another study. An untreated severe hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher risk of being unemployed. So, as the years pass, letting your hearing loss go unattended could end up costing you lot’s of money.
Added medical bills due to falls
Untreated hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to fall. The chance of falling is raised by 300% for individuals with even slight untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. 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 who have greater 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 expenses, and consequently more money out of your pocket.
Worse health consequences
But there’s more to it than just that. You might be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have neglected hearing loss. When it involves your health, you could have negative results if you miss details and that can produce increased health costs. All of these incidents add up to a major financial gap. Numerous studies have connected neglected hearing loss to substantially increased medical costs 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 end up in the emergency room. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare costs for individuals with untreated hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University suggested that individuals with untreated moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher risk of death.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to get your hearing checked. You may need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. Contemporary hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your total 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