Have you avoided the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you thinking that your hearing loss isn’t that severe right now and getting a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you up to $30,000 per year, even if you think that it’s fine right now. Not having part of your hearing means you could miss important work or medical information and opportunities, and you may end up injuring yourself physically, too.
Lost opportunities and unemployment
If you can’t hear everything you need to, it will ultimately impact your work performance. You could lose out on future projects because you didn’t hear instructions on past work, or your relationship with co-workers could have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. You could end up being overlooked by people at all levels if you become socially secluded at work. You might not be able to reach your full earning potential as these little things add up over time. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss according to research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.
Unemployment rates are also higher for individuals with untreated hearing loss, according to another study. An untreated severe hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater risk of being unemployed. So, as time passes, letting your hearing loss go unattended may end up costing you lot’s of money.
Falls will cost you even more in medical bills
You’ll have a higher likelihood of falling if you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. The risk of falling increases by 300% for people with even minor untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. And, for every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The researchers conjectured that there might be a connection between the level of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which handles balance, or that individuals who have greater impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than focusing on particular physical dangers. And when you have a fall it frequently leads to an expensive trip to the doctor.
Worse health outcomes
But there’s more to it than only that. You could 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 outcomes in health matters, thus resulting in more bills and more issues. All of these incidents add up to a major financial gap. Over time, significantly increased medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. 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. A more recent study from the University of South Carolina suggested that neglected hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare expenses over an 18 month time period.
Another study from Johns Hopkins University indicated that individuals with untreated moderate to profound hearing loss had a substantially higher risk of death.
So it’s time for a hearing test if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. Depending on the results of that test, you might have to invest in hearing aids. If you do, you’ll probably be fairly surprised. Hearing aids nowadays 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.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time
