Have you resisted the calls from friends, family, and co-workers to finally get a hearing aid? Are you thinking that your hearing loss is not that bad at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
Even if you believe you’re doing fine right now, your hearing loss could catch up with you – and if that happens, it might potentially cost you more than $30,000 per year. Not only could you end up injuring yourself by neglecting your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by missing important medical or work details.
Unemployment and missed opportunities
If you can’t hear everything you need to, it will ultimately impact your work performance. You could get passed up for future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on previous work, or your interaction with co-workers may have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. If you become socially secluded at work, you could end up less noticed by people at every level of the company. You might not be capable of reaching your full earning potential as these little things add up over time. A study by the Better Hearing Institute revealed that individuals with untreated hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than people who treated their hearing loss.
Unemployment rates are also higher for people with untreated hearing loss, according to other research. People who don’t treat 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
You’ll have a higher chance of having a fall if you have neglected hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. The danger of falling increases by 300% for individuals who have even slight untreated hearing loss as detailed by one study. And, for every 10 dB increase in hearing impairment, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers believe there may be a link between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be possible that someone with neglected hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. And obviously, those falls lead to more medical bills, and thus more money out of your pocket.
Worse health outcomes
But that’s not all. If you can’t hear well, you might miss instructions from your physician. When it involves your health, you could have worse outcomes if you miss information and that can produce increased health costs. All of these occurrences add up to a huge financial gap. Over time, considerably increased medical expenses 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. The University of South Carolina published a study that indicated 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 substantially increased risk of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So, if you want to protect yourself both financially and physically, it’s time to get your hearing examined. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. You will probably get a pleasant surprise if you do. Hearing aids nowadays are state-of-the-art, very comfortable to use, and sound clear. 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