Have you avoided the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally invest in a hearing aid? Do you think that presently you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not missing enough to warrant getting one?
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. Going without part of your hearing means you may miss important work or medical information and opportunities, and you could end up hurting yourself physically, as well.
Lost opportunities and unemployment
If you do not hear everything you need to, it will ultimately effect your work performance. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a breakdown in relationships and you could lose opportunities for upcoming projects because you failed to follow instructions on past projects. If you become socially isolated at work, you may be less noticed 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. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that individuals with untreated hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than those who dealt with their loss of hearing.
Unemployment rates are also increased for people with neglected hearing loss, according to another study. Individuals who don’t address their hearing loss will be 15% more likely to be unemployed. So, as the years pass, neglected hearing loss may wind up costing you lot’s of money.
Falls will cost you even more in medical expenses
Neglected hearing loss can deal another financial blow by actually making you more likely to fall. One study discovered that even individuals with slight neglected hearing loss raise their danger of falling by 300%. In addition, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The vestibular system manages balance and researchers think there may be a link between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it might also be plausible that someone with neglected hearing loss just gets lost in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. And when you fall it often results in a costly trip to the doctor.
Increased general health issues
But there’s more to it than only that. You may be missing some of the advice from your doctor if you have neglected hearing loss. When it involves your health, you could have worse outcomes if you miss information and that can lead to increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the result. Over time, substantially increased medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to numerous studies. 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 end up in the emergency room. The University of South Carolina published a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare costs for people with untreated hearing loss over an 18 month time period.
Moderate to severe untreated hearing loss can lead to a significantly higher risk of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So it’s time for a hearing test if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Modern hearing aids are extremely clear and comfortable. Take advantage of the available technology to improve your life in all aspects.
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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