Have your friends, family, and co-workers been requesting that you get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Do you think that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not missing enough to justify getting one?
Even if you believe you’re doing fine right now, your hearing loss could catch up with you – and if that happens, it might potentially cost you more than $30,000 a year. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by dismissing 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 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 end up being overlooked by people at every level if you become socially isolated at work. You might not be able to reach your max earning potential as these “small” things add up over time. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute discovered that individuals with untreated hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than those who dealt with their hearing loss.
Research also indicates that people with neglected hearing loss have an increased danger of being unemployed. Individuals who don’t address their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. Not getting treatment, therefore, could cost you a lot of money as the years go on.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
You’ll have a higher chance of falling if you have neglected hearing loss which can deal you another financial setback. One study discovered that even those with mild neglected hearing loss increase their risk of falling by 300%. 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 link between the amount of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which handles balance, or that people with greater impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than paying attention to specific physical hazards. And of course, those falls lead to more medical expenses, and thus more cash out of your pocket.
Increased general health issues
But there’s more to it than only that. If you are unable to hear well, you could miss instructions from your physician. If you miss information from your doctor, you might wind up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus resulting in more costs and more issues. A huge financial gap will be the consequence. Over time, considerably increased medical expenses will result from untreated hearing loss according to numerous studies. 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. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina suggested that untreated hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University indicated that people with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a substantially higher risk of death.
So it’s time for a hearing exam if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. Depending on the results of that test, you might have to get hearing aids. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Modern hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better in all respects.
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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