Are hearing aids truly worth the cost? Hearing aids may seem a bit costly at first. However, while a home is an expensive purchase, it's significantly better than actually being homeless. Beyond that, if you look past the price, you will probably discover that hearing aids are an overall sensible financial investment.

"What is the price I would pay for deciding against getting hearing aids, and what would I actually get out of purchasing them?" These are a few worthwhile things to ask when deciding on whether you should invest in a costly item. If you actually need hearing aids it will wind up costing you more if you don't invest in them. You really should factor these expenses into your choice as well. Think about some good reasons why purchasing hearing aids can help save you money over the long haul.

You Will end up Spending More for Choosing Low-Cost Hearing Aids

There certainly are low priced hearing aids out there which appear to be less expensive. You might possibly even pick up a hearing aid from the internet priced less than a dinner.

You can expect to get what you pay for in quality when you purchase over-the-counter hearing devices. When you buy these devices, you're in reality purchasing an amplification device similar to earbuds, not an actual hearing aid. The trouble with these cheap devices is that they crank the background noises up.

With cheap hearing devices you don't get the most important features, such as customized programming. You can get a high degree of quality by having a good hearing aid keyed to address your specific hearing requirements.

Some over-the-counter hearing devices are powered by equally cheap batteries, too. Spending loads of extra money on worn out batteries will be costly. You might even need to switch out the batteries a couple of times every day. When it's most important, these cheap batteries usually die, so make sure to bring lots of spare batteries. When you total up the money you spend for the extra batteries, do you actually save anything?

Higher quality hearing aids, on the other hand, have better technology and consume less power. Some even have rechargeable batteries, eliminating the need for regular replacements.

Work Related Issues

Whether or not you decide to struggle with cheap hearing aids or go without them completely, it’s a decision that will certainly cost you at work. A 2013 study published in The Hearing Journal states that adults that have hearing loss make less money – up to 25 percent less, and are more likely to be without a job.

Why is this? There are quite a few of reasons for this, but the dominant factor is that communication is necessary in pretty much every industry. You have to hear what your employer is saying to deliver results. You should be capable of listening to clients to help them. When you spend the entire discussion attempting to figure out what words people are saying, you're probably going to miss out on the overall message. Put simply, if you can’t participate in discussions, it's difficult to be on point at work.

The effort to hear what people are saying at the workplace takes a toll on you physically, as well. And if you manage to make it through a day with sub-par hearing, the stress and anxiety associated with wondering if you heard something right plus the energy required to hear just enough will keep you depleted 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 have an impact on your job efficiency and bring down your earnings as a consequence.

Regular Trips to The ER

There is a safety concern that comes with loss of hearing. Without proper hearing aids, it becomes risky for you to go across the street or operate a vehicle. How could you stay clear of another vehicle if you can’t hear it? What about environmental safety systems like a tornado warning or smoke alarm?

For some jobs, hearing is a must have for job-site safety like building and construction zones or processing plants. That means that not wearing hearing aids is not just a safety hazard but also something which can restrict your career possibilities.

Financial protection is a factor here, too. Did the cashier say that you owe 35 dollars or 85? What did the salesperson say about the functions of the microwave oven you are shopping for and do you need them? Maybe the less expensive unit would be all you would need, but it is hard to tell if you can’t hear the clerk explain the difference.

The Health of Your Brain

One of the most important concerns that come with hearing loss is the increased possibility of getting dementia. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that Alzheimer’s disease costs individuals more than 56,000 dollars per year. Dementia accounts for 11 billion dollars in Medicare expense per year.

Hearing loss is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It is calculated that someone with acute, untreated hearing loss multiplies their risk of brain deterioration by five times. A moderate hearing loss comes with three times the possibility of dementia, and even a slight hearing issue doubles your likelihood. Hearing aids will bring the danger back to a regular amount.

Certainly a hearing aid will set you back a bit more. When you look at all the problems associated with going without one or buying a cheaper device, it’s obviously a prudent monetary plan. Make an appointment with a hearing specialist to learn more.