Are hearing aids actually worth the cost? The cost is often a worry for people who suffer from hearing loss. Even so, when you invest in a house you don’t learn the price and say, “well, being homeless is less expensive”! Cost isn’t the only value consideration with regards to getting hearing aids.
When shopping for a big-ticket item like this you really should ask yourself, “what do I get out of using hearing aids, and what’s the cost of not having them?” If you choose not to buy hearing aids, there will be a financial cost, as it turns out. Your decisions should also factor in these expenses. Recognize why you will save money in the long run if you decide to buy hearing aids.
You Will Find Yourself Spending More if You Decide on Cheaper Hearing Aids
You will probably find, while shopping for hearing aids, that you can find cheaper hearing aids that will seem to save you money. You could even purchase a hearing aid from the internet that cost less than a dinner.
You get what you pay for in quality when you buy over-the-counter hearing devices. These devices are not authentic hearing aids, they’re actually amplification devices similar to earpods. They just crank up all of the sound around you, including noises you don’t want amplified.
A high quality hearing aid is custom programable which is not a feature that cheaper devices offer. If your hearing aids can be programmed to manage your particular hearing needs, you will have a much higher quality experience.
Over the counter hearing devices also use cheap batteries. Shelling out large amounts of extra money on batteries will be expensive. You could wind up switching out batteries a couple of times every day if you decide on a cheap amplification device. The battery is most likely to fail when you need it most, also, so prepare to carry lots of spares around with you everywhere you go. If you’re continuously replacing dead batteries, are you really saving money over time?
Higher quality hearing aids last a lot longer because they are made with more efficient electronics. Many designs don’t even need to have their batteries replaced at all because they’re rechargeable.
Problems With Your Career
Choosing to not use hearing aids, or using cheap ones will be costly at your job. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal reports that less money is made by people who have hearing loss – as much as 25 percent less, and often have a hard time keeping a job at all..
And why? There are lots of variables involved, but communication is critical in just about every trade and that’s the major factor. If you’re going to deliver good results, you need to be able to hear what your boss is saying. You have to be capable of listening to customers so that you can help them. You’ll most likely end up missing out on the whole content of the discussion if you are always struggling to hear what people are saying. The bottom line is that it’s nearly impossible to excel if you can’t take part in conversation.
There will also be a physical toll from trying to here on the job. Even if you are able to get through a day with sub-par hearing, the stress that comes with worrying about whether you heard something clearly and the energy required to make out as much as possible, will cause you to be exhausted and stressed out. Some impacts of stress:
- Your immune system
- Your quality of life
- Health of your relationships
- Your ability to sleep
All of these have the chance of affecting your work performance and lowering your income as a consequence.
Having to go to the Emergency Room more often
hearing loss comes with safety issues. Without quality hearing aids, it will be dangerous for you to cross the street or operate a vehicle. If you’re unable to hear something, how can you avoid it? And you risk missing a public warning alert system like a smoke alarm or severe storm warning alarm.
For a good number of jobs, hearing is necessary for workplace safety such as job-sites or production factories. That means that not wearing hearing aids isn’t simply a safety hazard but also something that can restrict your career options.
You also should take into account financial security. Did the cashier say that you owe 25 dollars or 85? What did the salesperson say regarding the functions of the tv you’re checking out and do you require them? You may wind up spending more than you need to for features you don’t actually need.
The Health of Your Brain
One of the most important problems that come with hearing loss is the increased chance of dementia. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that Alzheimer’s disease costs individuals more than 56,000 dollars each year. 11 billion dollars every year is spent in medicare costs to treat dementia.
The chance of getting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is a risk factor associated with hearing loss. Someone who has neglected their hearing loss for a long time raises their risk of brain impairment by five fold. A moderate hearing loss carries three times the possibility of ending up with dementia, and even a slight hearing problem doubles your risk. Hearing aids mitigate these dangers.
There is no doubt that a hearing aid will cost you a bit. If you look at all the concerns that come with not getting one or buying a lower quality device, it’s undoubtedly a sound financial choice. Schedule an appointment with your hearing care specialist today.