Have you avoided the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally invest in a hearing aid? Are you feeling that right now you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not losing enough to justify purchasing one?
Even if you feel like you’re doing ok right now, your hearing loss might catch up with you – and if it does, it could possibly cost you more than $30,000 a year. Not only could you end up hurting yourself by dismissing 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 don’t hear everything you need to, it will ultimately effect your work performance. Your inability to hear coworkers could cause a deterioration in relationships and you could get passed over on opportunities for future projects because you failed to follow instructions on previous projects. If you become socially isolated at work, you could end up overlooked by people at every level of the company. These “small” things add up over time and impact your ability to attain your highest earning potential. People who treat their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than individuals with neglected hearing loss according to a study carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.
Research also suggests that individuals with untreated hearing loss have a higher chance of being unemployed. A neglected 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 fall. The danger of falling is raised by 300% for people who have even slight neglected hearing loss as detailed by one study. also, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every additional 10 dB of hearing loss. The vestibular system handles balance and researchers believe there may be a connection between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it might also be possible that somebody with neglected hearing loss just gets disoriented in their environment because they are overcompensating with their other senses. And obviously, those falls result in more medical bills, and consequently more cash out of your pocket.
Worse health outcomes
But there’s more to it than just that. If you can’t hear well, you might miss instructions from your physician. When it involves your health, you could have negative results if you miss information and that can result in increased health costs. A huge financial gap will be the result. Over time, considerably higher medical expenses 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 people were 40% more likely to go to the emergency room. More recent research from the University of South Carolina suggested that neglected hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month time period.
Moderate to severe neglected hearing loss can result in a significantly higher danger of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So, if you want to protect yourself both physically and financially, it’s time to have your hearing checked. You might need hearing aids depending on the results of that test. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Modern hearing aids are extremely clear and comfortable. Make your overall life better by taking advantage of this amazing technology.
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References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time