Are hearing aids really worth the cost? The price is often a worry for people who suffer from hearing loss. You wouldn’t choose homelessness over paying for a new house. The actual value of hearing aids is about much more than the price.
When shopping for a big-ticket item such as this you really should ask yourself, “what do I get out of wearing hearing aids, and what’s the consequence of not having them?” As it turns out, you pay a financial price for choosing not to purchase hearing aids. Your decisions should also factor in these expenses. Recognize why you will save money in the long run if you decide to get hearing aids.
If You Choose to Purchase Cheaper Hearing Aids, You Will End up Spending More
You will most likely find, while shopping for hearing aids, that there are cheaper hearing aids that will seem to save you money. If you shop for hearing aids on the internet, you will probably find some that are cheaper than a nice dinner.
With regards to cheaper hearing aids, you get what you pay for. These devices are not genuine hearing aids, they’re really amplification devices similar to earpods. All of the sounds around you, including ones you don’t want to hear, are amplified.
Personalized programming is the best feature of a high-quality hearing aid, that you don’t have if you buy a low-cost hearing device. You can attain an excellent sound by having a quality hearing aid programmed to address your particular hearing needs.
The batteries in store bought hearing aids are also low quality. Spending large amounts of extra cash on batteries will be expensive. If you wear the amplification device regularly, you might possibly end up changing the battery up to a couple of times each day. The battery is likely to die when you need it most, also, so prepare to carry lots of spares around with you everywhere you go. Do you really save money if you have to exchange worn out batteries all of the time?
More efficient electronics allow the higher quality hearing aids to have a much longer battery life. Some even come with rechargeable batteries, eliminating the need for constant replacements.
Career Problems
Deciding to not use hearing aids, or wearing cheap ones will be costly at work. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal states that less money is made by adults with hearing loss – as much as 25 percent less, and are more likely to be jobless.
Why? Communication is crucial in every field and among the many factors involved, that one is prevalent. You need to be able to hear what your boss says so that you can deliver good results. And in order to help consumers or clients, you need good listening skills. If you have to spend the whole discussion trying to figure out what words people are saying, you’re probably missing the entire content. To put it simply, if you cannot take part in conversations, it’s really hard to succeed at work.
There will also be a physical toll from trying to here on the job. Even if you manage to get through a day with sub-par hearing, the stress that happens if you worry about whether you heard something clearly and the energy needed to make out as much as possible, will cause you to be exhausted and stressed out. Here are some outcomes of stress:
- Your overall quality of life
- Your relationships
- Immune health
- 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 ER more often
There are safety problems that come with hearing loss. Without appropriate hearing aids, it will be hazardous for you to cross the street or drive a vehicle. How can you stay clear of something if you can’t hear it? And you risk not hearing a public warning alert system such as a smoke alarm or severe storm warning alert.
For jobs like a manufacturing facility or a construction site, you need to be able to hear in order for you and your coworkers to stay safe. So your safety, as well as your career options, will be restricted if you don’t use the quality hearing aids you need.
You also need to take into consideration 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 really need them? You might end up spending more than you should for features you don’t really need.
The Health of Your Brain
The increased chance of dementia is one of the most crucial problems with hearing loss. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that Alzheimer’s disease costs individuals more than 56,000 dollars a year. Dementia accounts for 11 billion dollars in Medicare expense annually.
The chance of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is a risk factor associated with hearing loss. It is calculated that a person who has severe, untreated hearing loss increases their chance of brain impairment by five fold. A moderate hearing loss has three times the possibility of ending up with dementia, and even a minor hearing problem doubles your risk. Hearing aids minimize these dangers.
There is no doubt that a hearing aid will set you back a bit. If you examine all the worries that come with going without one or buying a cheaper device, it’s undoubtedly a sound financial decision. Consult a hearing care specialist to find out more about hearing aids.