Have your friends, family, and co-workers been asking you to get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly avoiding it? Are you thinking that your hearing loss isn’t that bad right now and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?

Even if you believe you’re doing fine at the moment, your hearing loss might catch up with you – and if that happens, it could possibly cost you more than $30,000 a year. Going without a portion of your hearing means you may miss significant work or medical details and opportunities, and you may end up injuring yourself physically, as well.

Unemployment and missed opportunities

Your work performance will be impacted if you’re not hearing everything you should. You could get passed up for future projects because you couldn’t hear instructions on previous work, or your interaction 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 all levels of the company. These “small” things add up over time and affect your ability to attain your highest earning potential. Research conducted by the Better Hearing Institute discovered that individuals who have neglected hearing loss earned, on average, $20,000 less a year than those who dealt with their hearing loss.

Unemployment rates are also higher for people with untreated hearing loss, according to another study. A neglected profound hearing loss translates into a 15 percent higher chance of being unemployed. Not seeking treatment, therefore, might cost you a lot of money as the years go on.

Extra medical bills from falls

Neglected hearing loss can cause another financial hit by actually making you more likely to have a fall. One study discovered that even individuals with mild untreated hearing loss raise their risk of falling by 300 percent. And, 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 connection between the level of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that people with more profound impairment simply became more wrapped up in compensating for the loss than focusing on specific physical dangers. And obviously, those falls result in more medical expenses, and thus more cash out of your pocket.

Increased general health problems

But there’s more to it than just that. If you can’t hear well, you might miss instructions from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you may end up having worse outcomes in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more problems. All of these incidents add up to a significant financial gap. Over time, significantly higher medical expenses will result from untreated hearing loss according to numerous studies. In one study, it was revealed that these people will have a 40% increased chance of trips to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will pay out more than $20,000. The University of South Carolina released a study that revealed a 33% increase in healthcare expenses for people with untreated hearing loss over an 18 month period.

Another study from Johns Hopkins University suggested that people with untreated moderate to profound hearing loss had a significantly higher chance of death.

So it’s time for a hearing test if you want to protect yourself financially and physically. You may need hearing aids depending on the test results. You will most likely get a pleasant surprise if you do. Modern hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Make your total life better by taking advantage of this fantastic technology.

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References

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/patients-with-untreated-hearing-loss-incur-higher-health-care-costs-over-time