$20,000 – or More – a Year? Just for Wearing a Hearing Aid?

Stack of new $100 bills

Have your friends, family, and co-workers been asking you to get hearing aids but you’ve been stubbornly resisting? Are you feeling that presently you really don’t need a hearing aid or that you’re not missing enough to justify buying one?

Even if you believe you’re doing fine 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 injuring yourself by dismissing your hearing loss, you could also cost yourself income and lost opportunities by missing important medical or work details.

Lost opportunities and unemployment

Your job performance will be effected if you’re not hearing everything you need to. You could lose out on future projects because you didn’t follow instructions on previous work, or your relationship with co-workers may have deteriorated because you couldn’t hear them. If you become socially secluded at work, you could end up overlooked by people at all levels 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 research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute.

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

Added medical bills from falls

You’ll have a higher likelihood of falling if you have neglected hearing loss which can deal you another financial blow. The danger of falling increases by 300% for people who have even slight untreated hearing loss as reported by one study. In addition, there is a 1.4-fold increase in falls for every added 10 dB of hearing loss. The researchers conjectured that there could be a connection between the degree of hearing loss and effects on the vestibular system, which deals with balance, or that people with more profound impairment just became more caught up in compensating for the loss than focusing on particular physical hazards. And of course, those falls result in more medical expenses, and consequently more cash out of your pocket.

Worse health consequences

But there’s more to it than just that. You might be missing some of the guidance from your doctor if you have neglected hearing loss. If you miss information from your doctor, you could wind up having worse consequences in health matters, thus resulting in more bills and more problems. All of these occurrences add up to a huge financial gap. Over time, considerably increased medical costs will result from untreated hearing loss according to several 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 go to the emergency room. More recent research from the University of South Carolina suggested that untreated hearing loss resulted in a 33% increase in healthcare costs over an 18 month period.

Moderate to profound untreated hearing loss can lead to a substantially 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 financially and physically. Depending on the test results, you may have to invest in hearing aids. If you do, you’ll likely be fairly surprised. Hearing aids nowadays are state-of-the-art, really comfortable to wear, and sound clear. Take advantage of the available technology to improve your life in all respects.

References

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

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.