Despite the fact that 90-95 percent of people with mild to severe hearing loss can benefit from wearing hearing aids, only about one in five actually does. One major reason people cite for delaying treatment is the financial cost of hearing aids. However, investing in hearing aids is a wise financial decision that should not be delayed.
Below are some reasons you should invest in your hearing health.
Cheap Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Cost More Than You Think
After being told they need hearing aids, many hearing loss patients turn to big box stores or the internet in search of a lower price tag. While these devices may seem much cheaper, unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Over-the-counter hearing technology cannot deliver what prescriptive hearing aids can. In fact, these devices aren’t even called hearing aids; they are personal amplification devices.
Hearing aids can distinguish speech sounds from background noise, amplify only the sounds you want to hear, help you identify the direction sound is coming from and some even automatically adjust their settings when you enter a new listening environment. Conversely, personal amplification devices turn up the volume on everything, including background noise like car doors slamming. This can lead to further hearing loss if you aren’t careful.
Hearing Aids Improve Job Performance & Compensation
One study published in 2013 by The Hearing Journal found that adults with hearing loss make up to 25 percent less money than their normal-hearing colleagues, and are significantly more likely to be unemployed.
There are many factors that go into this, but the cause is most likely that hearing loss inhibits communication ability – an essential skill in any industry. You must be able to communicate effectively with your manager, colleagues and clients in order to perform your job. If you can’t, your job performance, which is directly linked to pay and employment, can suffer.
Hearing Aids Improve Health & Safety
Hearing aids keep you safe by making you alert to your surroundings. People with untreated hearing loss are much more likely to experience a fall or another accident that leads to a hospital visit.
In addition, hearing health is linked with brain health. A study by Johns Hopkins found that for people with severe untreated hearing loss, their risk of brain deterioration is five times higher than those with normal hearing.
In short, hearing aids can save you a fortune on medical bills.
For more information about the benefits of hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with an audiologist, call the experts at The Hearing & Balance Center.