Are hearing aids actually worth the cost? The cost is often a concern for individuals who deal with hearing loss. You wouldn’t choose homelessness over paying for a new house. The actual value of hearing aids is about a lot more than the cost.

You really need to ask yourself what the cost of not purchasing hearing aids will be and what the real value of wearing hearing aids is.” As it turns out, there is a monetary cost for choosing not to purchase hearing aids. You should factor these expenses into your decision also. Bear in mind a few good reasons why getting hearing aids will save you money long term.

If You Decide to Invest in Less Expensive Hearing Aids, You Will Wind up Spending More

While shopping the hearing aids market, you will probably encounter cheaper devices that seem to be less costly. If you shop for hearing aids on the internet, you will most likely find some that are cheaper than a nice dinner.

Regarding cheaper hearing aids, you get what you pay for. These devices are not real hearing aids, they’re actually amplification devices like earpods. They just amplify all of the sound around you, including noises you don’t want amplified.

A quality hearing aid is custom programable which isn’t a feature that cheaper devices provide. If your hearing aids can be programmed to address your specific hearing needs, you will have a much higher quality experience.

Over the counter hearing devices use cheap batteries also. Shelling out large amounts of extra cash on batteries can be expensive. You could wind up switching out batteries a couple of times each day if you go with a cheap amplification device. You’ll need to carry extra batteries around because they will usually die when you most need them. If you’re constantly replacing dead batteries, are you actually saving money over time?

Higher quality hearing aids last a lot longer because they are made with more efficient electronics. Some even have rechargeable batteries, getting rid of the need for constant replacements.

Career Problems

It’s possible that you will earn less if you choose not to use hearing aids or to wear cheap ones. Research conducted in 2013 and published in The Hearing Journal reports that less money is made by adults who have hearing loss – as much as 25 percent less, and are more likely to be without a job.

And why? There are a lot of factors involved, but communication is crucial in just about every trade and that’s the major factor. You have to be capable of hearing what your supervisor says so that you can deliver good results. You should be able to listen to customers so that you can help them. If you spend the whole discussion trying to figure out what words people are saying, you’re probably missing the whole content. The bottom line is that it’s almost impossible to succeed if you can’t take part in conversation.

The ordeal of trying to hear on the job will take it’s toll on you physically, also. 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 right and the energy needed to make out as much as possible, will make you fatigued and stressed out. Some affects of stress:

• Your ability to sleep
• Your immune system
• Health of your relationships
• Your quality of life

All of these have the possibility of impacting your work efficiency and decreasing your income as a consequence.

Having to go to the Emergency Room more frequently

Loss of hearing comes with safety issues. It will be dangerous for you to operate a vehicle or cross the street without quality hearing aids. How can you avoid something if you’re not able to hear it? How about public warning systems like a twister alert or smoke alarm?

For a good number of jobs, hearing is necessary for workplace safety such as job-sites or production factories. That means that not using hearing aids is not just a safety hazard but also something which can restrict your career options.

You also need to take into consideration financial security. Did you pay the waitress too much for dinner because you had a difficult time hearing her? Do you really need all those new television functions that you failed to hear the salesperson discussing with you? You may end up paying more than you should for features you don’t really need.

Brain Health

One of the most critical problems that come with hearing loss is the greater chance of dementia. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that Alzheimer’s disease costs people more than 56,000 dollars every year. Dementia accounts for 11 billion dollars in Medicare expense annually.

The risk of getting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is a risk factor involved with hearing loss. Somebody who has ignored their hearing loss for a long time increases their risk of brain impairment by five fold. The chance of getting dementia goes up by three times with moderate hearing loss and doubles with even mild hearing loss. Hearing aids decrease these dangers.

There is no doubt that a hearing aid will cost you a bit. If you look at the costs you will confront by deciding not to buy hearing aids or purchasing cheaper ones, the decision is clear. Consult a hearing care professional to learn more about hearing aids.