Have you resisted the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you feeling that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to warrant purchasing one?
Even if you feel like you’re doing just fine at the moment, your hearing loss could get a lot worse – and if that happens, it might possibly cost you more than $30,000 a year. Going without a portion of your hearing means you could miss significant work or medical details and opportunities, and you may 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 couldn’t follow instructions on previous projects. If you become socially isolated at work, you could end up less noticed by people at every level of the company. These ”little” things compound over time and affect your ability to attain your highest earning potential. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than people with neglected hearing loss according to a study done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. People who don’t treat their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. So, as time passes, neglected hearing loss could end up costing you lot’s of money.
Falls will cost you even more in medical bills
Neglected hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The chance of falling increases by 300% for people with even slight neglected hearing loss as reported by one study. also, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every added 10 dB of hearing loss. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers think there might be a connection between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be plausible that someone with untreated hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. And when you fall it often results in an expensive trip to the doctor.
Increased general health problems
But there’s more to it than just that. You could be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have neglected hearing loss. When it comes to your health, you could have worse outcomes if you miss information and that can produce increased health costs. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Several studies have connected neglected hearing loss to substantially increased medical expenses over time. 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. More recent research 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 conducted by Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with neglected moderate to profound hearing loss had a substantially higher risk of death.
So, if you’re interested in protecting yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to have your hearing assessed. You might need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to improve your life in all aspects.
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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