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 is not that bad at the moment and getting a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you as much as $30,000 per year, even if you think that it’s fine for now. Not having a portion of your hearing means you might miss important work or medical details and opportunities, and you could end up hurting yourself physically, as well.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
If you do not hear everything you need to, it will ultimately effect your work performance. You could lose out on future projects because you couldn’t hear instructions on past work, or your interaction with co-workers may have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. If you become socially secluded at work, you could end up overlooked by people at all levels of the company. These ”little” things compound 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 those who dealt with their hearing loss.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. Individuals who don’t address their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, might cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
You’ll have a higher likelihood of having a fall if you have untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial setback. The chance of falling increases by 300% for individuals who have even minor neglected hearing loss as reported by one study. In addition, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every added 10 dB of hearing loss. The researchers speculated that there might be a link between the amount of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which handles balance, or that people with greater impairment just became more caught up in compensating for the loss than focusing on specific physical dangers. And when you have a fall it often results in an expensive trip to the doctor.
Increased general health problems
But that’s not all. If you can’t hear well, you could miss instructions from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you might end up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus leading to more costs and more problems. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Several studies have connected untreated hearing loss to considerably higher medical expenses over time. In one study, it was revealed that these individuals will have a 40% higher risk of visits to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out over $20,000. A more recent study 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 from Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with untreated moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher risk of death.
So it’s time for a hearing examination if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. You may need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Modern hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better in all respects.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time
