Have you avoided 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 missing enough to warrant purchasing one?
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 may end up injuring yourself physically, as well.
Unemployment and lost opportunities
If you do not hear everything you’re supposed to, it will eventually impact your work performance. You could get passed up for future projects because you didn’t follow instructions on previous work, or your relationship with co-workers could have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. If you become socially secluded at work, you may be less noticed by people at all levels of the company. You might not be capable of reaching your max earning potential as these little things add up over time. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than people with neglected hearing loss according to research done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with untreated hearing loss, according to other research. An untreated profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher risk of being unemployed. Not seeking treatment, therefore, might cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
Added medical bills from falls
Untreated hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to fall. The danger of falling increases by 300% for people who have even slight untreated hearing loss as detailed 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 believe there may be a link between the degree of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it might also be plausible that somebody with neglected hearing loss simply gets lost in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And when you have a fall it frequently results in an expensive trip to the doctor.
Worse health consequences
But there’s more to it than just that. If you can’t hear well, you might miss information from your physician. When it involves your health, you could have worse outcomes if you miss details and that can produce increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the consequence. Over time, considerably increased medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. In one study, it was revealed that these individuals will have a 40% higher chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out over $20,000. The University of South Carolina released a study that indicated a 33% increase in healthcare costs for individuals with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Moderate to profound untreated hearing loss can result in a substantially increased risk of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So, if you’re interested in protecting yourself both physically and financially, it’s time to have your hearing assessed. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Hearing aids nowadays are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Make your overall life better by taking advantage of this amazing technology.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time
