Have you resisted the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you feeling like your hearing loss isn’t that severe at the moment and getting a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
If your hearing keeps getting worse, it could cost you as much as $30,000 each year, even if you assume that it’s fine for now. Not having part 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 lost opportunities
Your job performance will be impacted if you aren’t hearing everything you should. You could get passed up for future projects because you couldn’t hear instructions on past work, or your interaction with co-workers could have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. If you become socially secluded at work, you may be overlooked by people at every level of the company. These ”little” things add up over time and impact your ability to reach your highest earning potential. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss as reported by research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also indicates that people with neglected hearing loss have a higher danger of being unemployed. Individuals who don’t treat their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, might cost you a lot of money as the years go on.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
Untreated hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to fall. The chance of falling increases by 300% for people who have even slight untreated 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 amount of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that individuals who have more profound impairment just became more caught up in compensating for the loss than focusing on specific physical dangers. And of course, those falls lead to more medical bills, and consequently more money out of your pocket.
Worse health outcomes
But there’s more to it than just that. You might be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have untreated hearing loss. If you miss information from your doctor, you could wind up having worse consequences in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more issues. A major financial gap will be the result. Numerous studies have connected untreated hearing loss to substantially increased medical expenses 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. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for people with neglected hearing loss over an 18 month period.
Moderate to severe untreated hearing loss can lead to a substantially increased danger of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So it’s time for a hearing exam if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. You might need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. Modern hearing aids are extremely clear and comfortable. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better in all aspects.
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