It is a sensible financial decision to buy hearing aids. It’s a concern lots of people experiencing hearing loss ask when they look at the price of hearing aids. But, despite the fact that a house is a costly investment, it’s much better than being homeless. The real value of hearing aids goes beyond the price.
When you’re shopping for a big-budget item like this you really need to ask yourself, “what do I get from using hearing aids and what’s the impact of not getting them?” If you need hearing aids it will end up costing you more if you don’t buy them. You really should factor these costs into your purchase also. Ultimately hearing aids can save you money. Here’s why.
Over Time, Cheap Hearing Aids Will wind up Being More Costly
There definitely are low priced hearing aids available which seem more affordable. You might spend more on a meal than what some budget hearing aids on the web would cost you.
You can expect to get what you pay for in quality when you buy over-the-counter hearing devices. What you are really getting is not a hearing aid but, an amplification device like earbuds or headphones. These devices crank up the sound of everything around you. That includes unwanted background noise.
Individualized programming is the number one feature of a top-notch hearing aid, that you don’t have when buying a low-cost hearing device. You can enjoy a high level of quality by getting your good hearing aid tuned to focus on your exact hearing needs.
Over-the-counter hearing devices employ low-quality batteries also. Spending lots of extra money on worn out batteries can be costly. You could even need to replace the batteries more than once daily. Plan on carrying plenty of additional batteries because the inexpensive ones commonly quit when you actually need them the most. When you total up the money you shell out for the extra batteries, are you really saving anything?
Because the technology is better, the batteries stay alive longer. Some also have rechargeable batteries, doing away with the need for regular replacements.
Concerns at Work
Whether or not you decide to struggle with low-quality hearing aids or go without them altogether, it’s a choice that will certainly cost you at work. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal says 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 is this? There are quite a few reasons for this, but the basic explanation is that communicating is necessary in virtually every industry. You need to be able to listen to what your supervisor is saying to deliver results. You must be able to listen to customers to help them. When you spend the entire conversation trying to figure out what words people are saying, you’re likely missing the entire content. Quite simply, if you cannot take part in discussions, it’s not easy to be on point at work.
The struggle to hear at work takes a toll on you physically, also. Even when you find some way to make it through a day with inadequate hearing ability, the stress that comes with worrying about if you heard everything right plus the energy required to hear as much as possible will keep you depleted and stressed. Some impacts of stress:
- Your immune system
- Your ability to sleep
- Your relationships
- Your quality of life
These all have the possibility to impact your job efficiency and bring down your earnings as a consequence.
More Trips to the ER
There is a safety concern that comes with loss of hearing. Without right hearing aids, it becomes risky for you to go across the street or operate a car or truck. How can you avoid something if you can’t hear it? How about public safety systems like a twister alert or smoke alarm?
For quite a few jobs, hearing is a must for workplace safety practices like construction zones or manufacturing factories. That means that not using hearing aids is not only a safety hazard but also something which can minimize your career options.
Financial security is a factor here, too. Did the cashier tell you that you owe 35 dollars or 85? What did the salesperson tell you regarding the features of the Television you are shopping for and do you actually need them? Maybe the less expensive model would be all you would need, but it’s difficult to know if you can’t hear the sales clerk discuss the difference.
Brain Health
One of the most crucial concerns that come with hearing loss is the increased danger of dementia. The New England Journal of Medicine has found that Alzheimer’s disease costs individuals more than 56,000 dollars a year. Dementia makes up about 11 billion dollars in Medicare expenditure annually.
Hearing loss is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and some other types of dementia. It is estimated that somebody with acute, untreated hearing loss multiplies their risk of brain degeneration by five times. A modest hearing loss comes with three times the danger of getting dementia, and even a slight hearing issue doubles your risk. Hearing aids bring the chances back to a regular amount.
Without a doubt a hearing aid will set you back a bit more. When you look at the many other troubles that come with not having one or buying a cheaper device, it’s surely a financial investment. Make an appointment with a hearing aid specialist to find out more.