Have your family, friends, and co-workers been requesting that you get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Are you thinking that your hearing loss is not that bad at the moment and getting a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
Even if you feel like you’re doing fine at the moment, your hearing loss might get a lot worse – and if that happens, it might possibly cost you more than $30,000 per year. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by neglecting your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by missing important medical or work information.
Unemployment and missed opportunities
If you do not hear everything you’re supposed to, it will eventually effect your performance at work. You could lose out on future projects because you didn’t follow instructions on past work, or your relationship with co-workers could have deteriorated due to your being unable to hear them. If you become socially isolated at work, you may be overlooked by people at every level of the company. These “small” things compound over time and affect your ability to attain your full earning potential. A study by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that individuals who have untreated hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who treated their hearing loss.
Unemployment rates are also increased for individuals with untreated hearing loss, according to another study. An untreated profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent greater risk of being unemployed. Not getting treatment, consequently, could cost you a lot of money as time goes by.
Falls will cost you even more in medical bills
Neglected hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to have a fall. The danger of falling increases by 300% for people with even mild untreated hearing loss as reported 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 amount of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which handles balance, or that individuals who have more profound impairment just became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than focusing on specific physical dangers. And when you fall it frequently leads to a costly trip to the doctor.
Increased general health issues
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 may end up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more issues. All of these occurrences add up to a significant financial gap. Over time, significantly higher medical expenses will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. In one study, it was reported that these individuals will have a 40% increased chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out more than $20,000. The University of South Carolina published a study that indicated a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for people with untreated hearing loss over an 18 month time period.
Another study conducted by 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 assessment if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. Depending on the test results, you may need to get hearing aids. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Contemporary hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. 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