Have you resisted the calls from family, friends, and co-workers to finally invest in a hearing aid? Are you feeling like your hearing loss is not that bad at the moment and purchasing a hearing aid isn’t worth it?
Even if you feel like you’re doing ok at the moment, your hearing loss could catch up with you – and if that happens, it could possibly cost you more than $30,000 per year. Not having part of your hearing means you might miss significant work or medical information and opportunities, and you may end up injuring yourself physically, as well.
Missed opportunities and unemployment
Your job performance will be effected if you’re not hearing everything you should. Your inability to hear coworkers may be causing a deterioration in relationships and you could lose opportunities for future projects because you couldn’t follow instructions on past projects. You could end up going unnoticed by people at all levels if you become socially isolated at work. These “small” things add up over time and affect your ability to reach your highest earning potential. People who are treating their hearing loss earn, on average, $20,000 more than people with neglected hearing loss as reported by research done by the Better Hearing Institute.
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 higher chance of being unemployed. So, as the years pass, letting your hearing loss go unattended may end up costing you lot’s of money.
Added medical bills from falls
You’ll have a higher likelihood of falling if you have untreated hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. One study discovered that even people with mild untreated hearing loss increase their danger of falling by 300 percent. 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 connection between the amount of hearing loss and how it affects that system. Or, it may also be plausible that somebody with untreated hearing loss just gets lost in their environment because they’re overcompensating with their other senses. And of course, those falls lead to more medical bills, and consequently more cash out of your pocket.
Increased general health problems
But that isn’t it. If you are unable to hear well, you might miss instructions from your doctor. If you miss information from your doctor, you could wind up having worse consequences in health matters, thus leading to more bills and more issues. All of these occurrences add up to a major financial gap. Over time, significantly higher medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to several studies. In one study, it was revealed that these people will have a 40% higher risk of visits to the emergency room and over a ten year period, will shell out over $20,000. More recent research from the University of South Carolina indicated that untreated hearing loss led to a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month period.
Moderate to severe untreated hearing loss can result in a significantly increased risk of death according to a study circulated by Johns Hopkins University.
So it’s time for a hearing examination if you want to protect yourself physically and financially. You might need hearing aids depending on the test results. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Contemporary hearing aids are incredibly clear and comfortable. Take advantage of the available technology to make your life better 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