Are hearing aids actually worth the money? The cost is often a concern for individuals who have hearing loss. You wouldn’t choose homelessness above paying for a new house. The real value of hearing aids is about much more than the price tag.
When shopping for a big-ticket item like this you really should ask yourself, “what do I get out of wearing hearing aids, and what’s the cost of not using them?” As it turns out, there is a monetary cost for choosing not to buy hearing aids. Your choices should also factor in these costs. Keep in mind some good reasons why purchasing hearing aids will save you money in the long run.
If You Choose to Buy Less Expensive Hearing Aids, You Will End up Spending More
You will likely find, when you’re shopping for hearing aids, that there are cheaper hearing aids that will seem to save you money. You could even buy a hearing aid off of the internet costing less than a dinner.
You get what you pay for in quality when you buy over-the-counter hearing devices. When you buy these devices, you’re in reality buying an amplification device similar to earbuds, not an actual hearing aid. They just amplify the sound all around you, including unwanted noise.
Personalized programming is the best feature of a high-quality hearing aid, that you don’t have if you buy a cheap hearing device. If your hearing aids can be programmed to target your distinct hearing needs, you will have a much higher quality experience.
Over the counter hearing devices use cheap batteries also. It gets very expensive when you need to keep swapping out dead batteries. If you use the amplification device every day, you may possibly wind up changing the battery up to a couple of times per day. You’ll need to carry extra batteries around because they will normally die when you most need them. If you’re continuously buying dead batteries, are you actually saving money over time?
More efficient electronics allow the higher quality hearing aids to have a lot longer battery life. Many designs don’t even need to have their batteries replaced at all because they’re rechargeable.
Problems With Your Career
It’s possible that you will earn less if you decide not to wear hearing aids or to wear cheap ones. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal says that less money is made by adults with hearing loss – up to 25 percent less, and are more likely to be jobless.
And why? There are a lot of factors involved, but communication is important in just about every trade and that’s the major factor. You need to be capable of hearing what your manager says so that you can deliver good results. And in order to assist customers or clients, you need good listening skills. If you spend the whole conversation attempting to decipher what words people are saying, you’re most likely missing the whole content. The bottom line is that it’s just about impossible to succeed if you can’t be a part of the conversation.
You will also endure a physical toll from trying to here while at work. Even if you are able to get through a day with sub-par hearing, the anxiousness that happens if you worry about whether you heard something clearly and the energy necessary to make out as much as you can, will cause you to be fatigued and stressed out. Here are some effects of stress:
- Your ability to sleep
- Your immune system
- Your relationships
- Your quality of life
All of these have the possibility of impacting your work efficiency and bringing down your income as a consequence.
More Trips to The ER
There are safety issues that come with loss of hearing. Without appropriate hearing aids, it will be hazardous for you to cross the street or drive a vehicle. If you can’t hear something, how can you avoid it? What about emergency warning systems like a tornado alert or smoke alarm?
For numerous jobs, hearing is necessary for workplace safety such as job-sites or production factories. So your safety, as well as your career options, will be restricted if you don’t use the quality hearing aids you require.
You also need to take into account financial security. Did the server say that you owe 25 or 85 dollars? What did the sales representative say regarding the features of the Television you’re checking out and do you require them? You may end up spending more than you need to for features you don’t really need.
The Health of Your Brain
The increased risk of dementia is one of the most crucial problems with hearing loss. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that Alzheimer’s disease costs people more than 56,000 dollars a year. Dementia accounts for 11 billion dollars in Medicare costs annually.
Loss of hearing is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and various other kinds of dementia. It is calculated that someone with severe, untreated hearing loss increases their possibility of brain impairment by five fold. The risk of getting dementia increases by three times with moderate hearing loss and doubles with even minimal hearing loss. Hearing aids mitigate these dangers.
There is no doubt that a hearing aid will cost you a bit. If you examine the costs you will encounter by choosing not to buy hearing aids or buying cheaper ones, the choice is clear. Schedule an appointment with your hearing care specialist right away.
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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive a personalized free hearing test and hearing loss consultation, call today to set up an appointment.