Have you avoided the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally invest in 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?
Even if you think you’re doing ok at the moment, your hearing loss might catch up with you – and if that happens, it might possibly cost you upwards of $30,000 a year. 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.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
Your work performance will be impacted if you’re not hearing everything you need to. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’t hear instructions on previous work, or your relationship with co-workers may have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. You could end up being overlooked by people at every level if you become socially secluded at work. These “small” things compound over time and affect your ability to attain your full earning potential. A study by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that people with neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than those who dealt with their hearing loss.
Unemployment rates are also increased for individuals with neglected hearing loss, according to other research. A neglected profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater chance of being unemployed. Not getting treatment, therefore, could cost you lot’s of money as time goes by.
Falls will cost you even more in medical bills
You’ll have a higher chance of falling if you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. One study revealed that even individuals with mild neglected hearing loss raise their risk of falling by 300 percent. And, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers believe there may be a connection between the level of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be possible that somebody with neglected hearing loss simply gets lost in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. 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 only that. If you are unable to hear well, you could miss information from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you might wind up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus resulting in more bills and more problems. A major financial gap will be the result. Over time, considerably higher medical expenses will result from neglected hearing loss according to several studies. One study noted 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. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare costs for people with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month time period.
Another study from 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 examination if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. You may need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. You will probably get a pleasant surprise if you do. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Make your overall life better by taking advantage of this fantastic technology.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time