One of the most common complaints about hearing aids is the price. For somebody that has never seriously looked into hearing aids before this can be a tough hurdle to get past. The price range on hearing aids is pretty large depending on the style, amount of power and level of technology that is required to fix your hearing loss. This is usually why people wait so long to correct their hearing problem. Coincidentally, this is why patients should sit down with a knowledgeable specialist that they trust to walk them through the hearing aid buying process. Taking to the internet to do your research is all well and fine, but if you don’t know what you are looking for or the differences between products, it can make the process far more difficult that it has to be. Spending that kind of money is not “small potatoes” by any means, so we encourage our patients to look at correcting their hearing as an investment in themselves and their overall health.
First, let’s look at the “cost” of having untreated hearing loss if you are still working. A study by the Better Hearing Institute found that “hearing loss was shown to negatively impact household income on-average up to $12,000 per year, depending on the degree of hearing loss”. The obvious reason is that people with untreated hearing loss have a communication barrier that those with good hearing (or hearing loss that has been treated properly) don’t have to worry about. Anybody that is in the workforce can attest to the fact that good communication is a big key to success. For those people that don’t want to invest in fixing their hearing, they could end up paying a lot more in the long run.
There is also the impact of untreated hearing loss on the overall cost of healthcare. A study performed by the Medical University of South Carolina found that people between age 55 and 64 with untreated hearing loss had significantly higher healthcare costs over an 18-month period compared to their “better hearing counterparts”. Those with an untreated hearing loss had healthcare costs that were 33% higher! These higher medical bills were attributed to a lack of doctor’s visits. This lack of visits was due to difficulty communicating with the doctor, nurses, etc. Difficulty communicating is frustrating and embarrassing, so people put off their medical problems as long as they could to avoid these situations. In simple terms, they were sicker patients by the time they went in to the doctor’s office and therefore required more time and care to get better.
We haven’t even touched on some of the other aspects of correcting your hearing loss. Such as the impact of untreated hearing loss and a higher risk rate of dementia. The connection between maintaining your independence and fixing your hearing problems is another strong correlation. The thing we hope you can take away from this post is that fixing your hearing is an investment. And it is an investment that will continue to pay for itself. So, don’t cost yourself money by waiting till your moderate hearing loss becomes severe. Make the investment in better hearing and a better quality of life today. You’ll be amazed at the return on that investment.
If you are ready to talk about investing in your hearing, we would love to help. Give Purchase Ear Technology in Paducah, KY a call today at (270) 558-3996 or visit our office at 2008 Broadway, Paducah, KY 42001. You may also click here to send us a message.