Have you resisted the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Do you think that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not missing enough to justify purchasing one?
If your hearing continues to worsen, it could cost you as much as $30,000 per year, even if you think that it’s fine right now. Going without a portion of your hearing means you could miss significant work or medical information and opportunities, and you could end up injuring yourself physically, as well.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
Your job performance will be effected if you aren’t hearing everything you should. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a breakdown in relationships and you could lose opportunities for upcoming projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on past projects. If you become socially secluded at work, you may be overlooked by people at all levels of the company. These ”little” things compound over time and affect your ability to attain your full earning potential. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss according to research done by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also indicates that people with neglected hearing loss have an increased risk of being unemployed. People who don’t address their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. Not seeking treatment, therefore, might cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
Added medical bills due to falls
Neglected hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The risk of falling increases by 300% for people who have even minor neglected hearing loss as reported by one study. Additionally, for every 10 dB increase in hearing impairment, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The researchers conjectured that there might be a link between the degree 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 particular physical hazards. And of course, those falls lead to more medical bills, and thus more cash out of your pocket.
Worse health outcomes
But that’s not all. You might be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have neglected hearing loss. If you miss information from your doctor, you could wind up having worse consequences in health matters, thus resulting in more costs and more problems. All of these incidents add up to a significant financial gap. Multiple studies have linked neglected hearing loss to substantially increased medical costs over time. 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 go to the emergency room. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina revealed that neglected hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month period.
Another study conducted by Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with neglected moderate to severe hearing loss had a significantly higher risk of death.
So, if you’re interested in protecting yourself both physically and financially, it’s time to have your hearing examined. Depending on the test results, you might have to get hearing aids. If you do, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Hearing aids today are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Make your total life better by taking advantage of this wonderful technology.
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
