Are hearing aids truly worth the cost? It’s a worry many people suffering from hearing loss ask when they look at the cost of hearing aids. However, at the time you invest in a home you don’t determine the price and state, “well being homeless is less expensive!” You must go past the price to decide the actual worth of hearing aids.
Ask yourself, when shopping for high priced items, “what’s the cost of deciding against hearing aids and what will I really get from them?” As it turns out, there is a financial cost for deciding not to get hearing aids. Your final decision should also take these expenses into consideration. Hearing aids will save you money in the long run. Consider some reasons.
As Time Goes by, Cheap Hearing Aids Will end up Being More Costly
When searching the hearing aids market, you will certainly come across less expensive devices which appear to be less expensive. You might pay more for a meal than what some cheap hearing aids on the web might cost.
You can expect to get what you pay for in quality when you buy over-the-counter hearing devices. When you get these devices, you’re basically purchasing an amplification device much like earbuds, not an actual hearing aid. The problem with these cheap devices is that they turn the background noises up.
You lose out on the most effective features hearing aids offer, customized programming. A good hearing aid can be specifically tuned to your hearing needs which will help prevent it from getting worse.
Many of the low-quality hearing devices use equally cheap batteries, too. Shelling out loads of additional money on run-down batteries will be costly. You might even have to replace the batteries more than once daily. Be ready to bring a lot of additional batteries because the low-quality ones often die when you actually need them most. Do you actually save money if you need to replenish worn out batteries every day?
high-quality hearing aids, however, have superior electronics and use less power. Rechargeable batteries in the higher quality hearing aids means no more buying new batteries.
Issues at Work
Opting to not use hearing aids, or buying low-quality ones will be costly at your job. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal states that adults that have hearing loss usually earn less money – as high as 25 percent less, and are more likely to be without a job.
Why? There are numerous reasons for this, but the most common sense explanation is that communication is essential in almost every industry. You need to be able to listen to what your boss says to be able to give good results. You should be capable of listening to customers to assist them. When you spend the entire conversation trying to figure out exactly what words people are saying, you’re likely to miss out on the general message. Quite simply, if you cannot engage in verbal interactions, it is difficult to excel at work.
The battle to hear on the job takes a toll on you physically, also. Even if you do find some way to make it through a workday with sub-par hearing ability, the anxiety that comes with worrying about if you heard something correctly plus the energy necessary to make out just enough will make you exhausted and stressed. Some impacts of stress:
- Your immune system
- Your ability to sleep
- Your relationships
- Your quality of life
All of these have the potential to alter your job efficiency and lower your earnings as a result.
More Trips to the ER
There is a safety concern that comes with the loss of hearing. Without right hearing aids, it becomes risky for you to cross the street or operate a vehicle. How could you avoid another vehicle if you can’t hear it? How about public warning systems like a storm alert or smoke alarm?
For a number of jobs, hearing is a must have for job-site safety practices like construction sites or manufacturing factories. That means that not wearing hearing aids is not just a safety risk but something that can restrict your career options.
Financial safety is a factor here, too. Did the cashier tell you that you owe 25 dollars or 75? What did the salesperson say about the features of the microwave oven you are shopping for and do you need them? Perhaps the less expensive model is the better choice for you, but it is difficult to tell if you can’t hear the salesperson describe the difference.
The Health of Your Brain
One of the most critical problems that come with hearing loss is the increased possibility of dementia. The New England Journal of Medicine has found that Alzheimer’s disease costs people more than 56,000 dollars per year. Dementia makes up about 11 billion dollars in Medicare costs per year.
Hearing loss is a recognized risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and some other types of dementia. It is estimated that somebody with serious, neglected hearing loss multiplies their chances of brain degeneration by five times. A modest hearing loss comes with three times the danger of getting dementia, and even a mild hearing problem doubles your risk. Hearing aids can bring the risk back to a regular amount.
There is little doubt that a hearing aid is going to cost you a bit. When you look at all the concerns associated with not having one or buying a cheaper device, it’s surely a good monetary investment. Make an appointment with a hearing aid specialist to find out more.