Many Americans are starting to think of life as an investment. Grocery shopping a little more selectively and loading up on vegetables and healthy items is a good investment because you stay in better condition. Keeping regular doctor, dental, eye and ear appointments, also a good investment because it preserves your health and way of life. If you are getting regular hearing evaluations at Desert Valley Audiology, that’s a good thing! If you’ve been on the fence about getting the hearing aids that have been recommended, there’s no better time than the present.
Evidence of Benefits
“Hearing Loss – Numbers and Costs” is a report done by two professors at Brunel University in London. Data shows that hearing aid users can earn far more than non-hearing aid users and the earning gap widens with the severity of hearing loss. Additionally, unemployment rates are approximately twice as high for those with hearing loss who don’t wear hearing aids versus those who do wear hearing aids.
When earning power was studied, the report concludes there is “considerable evidence” that people with hearing loss earn, when averaged out, less than those who have normal hearing.
Hearing aid users reported improvements in the overall quality of their life with hearing aid use including positive impacts on family relationships. Hearing aids as well as other hearing devices, such as cochlear implants also have a positive affect on general health. There is less physical and mental exhaustion, better sleep and better memory and less depression than non-users.
Earnings and Cost
Individuals with untreated hearing loss have an 83% unemployment rate compared to the population in general. People with disabling hearing loss generally retire early or take less demanding jobs which means their average income as well as cumulative earning power is below that of people with normal hearing.
For society as a whole, untreated hearing loss means lost productivity, economic losses due to quality of life issues as well as a general drain on social benefits including unemployment costs, early withdrawals from pension funds and increased health care losses due to depression and cognitive decline associated with untreated hearing loss. There are also more hospital visits, earlier readmission and longer hospital stays associated with untreated hearing loss.
Quality of Life
People with untreated hearing loss, according to the report, experience a lower quality of life in general and the more severe of the hearing loss, the lower the quality of life. Hearing loss has a greater impact on the quality of life than other chronic issues such as vision impairment, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Untreated hearing loss has a combination of effects that negatively impact on physical, mental and social aspects of life.
Untreated hearing loss takes an emotional toll, it has been found to lead to depression, loneliness and social isolation. People with hearing loss reduce their physical activity which affects their general health. They are more likely to have chronic diseases compared to those with normal hearing.
Numerous studies document the links between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline and early onset dementia.
Fatigue both at work and after work is a major problem for those with hearing loss. It is exhausting to try and piece together the fragments of what you hear and it takes great concentration. Trying to function like you have normal hearing when you are only hearing a fraction of what is going on around you wears you down. People with untreated hearing loss generally have more sick days.
Treatment is Cost-Effective
Treatment of hearing loss, either with cochlear implants or hearing aids, is more cost effective than untreated hearing loss, according to the report. It is a good investment! As a matter of fact, weighing the cost of untreated hearing loss to the individual as well as society makes getting hearing aids quite economical. Looking at it as a long-range investment shows the benefits to physical and emotional health are huge and you stay a productive member of society
Desert Valley Audiology
There’s no better time than the present to improve your life with the use of hearing aids. Call Desert Valley Audiology today, and our professional staff will find hearing aids that are a good fit for you and your lifestyle.