Why Take The Risk?
Did you know that more than 1 out of every 20 deaths in the United States is the result of an accident? Accidents are the cause for almost 30 million Emergency Room visits every year, meaning almost one in 10 people will go to the emergency room for an accident. of course there are innumerable causes that can lead to accidents, but when you consider the correspondence between sensory impairments and accidents, the risk is obvious. And considering how commonly available screenings and treatments are nowadays, not only are these accidents due to sensory impairment largely preventable, but many insurance companies may even consider sensory impairments preventable risk factors and fail to cover them if proper treatment is not sought.
Why take the many risks that come with hearing loss? Considering how important our sense of hearing is to our entire sense of self in the world, it is worth the investment to make sure it is up to snuff.
Orienting Yourself in Your Surroundings
If it were not for our sense of hearing we would likely not exist at all. Consider primitive man, cold and alone deep in the jungle. All kinds of cunning and smarts led to humanity’s evolutionary advantage over all the other species. But Primitive man sure could not outrun a saber-toothed tiger. It was only thanks to the head start this primitive man could get when he heard the saber-toothed tiger approaching that primitive man could get a head start on running to live another day.
But of course all we have to do is look around the hustle and bustle of our modern lives to see that this is just as true today as it was in this example of prehistory. Ponder for a moment how much more likely you are to be in an accident just walking down a city street if you could not hear. All the honking horns that crowd our cities might wear on our nerves, but they also sure are preventing some accidents.
The risks of being in traffic as either a driver or a pedestrian increase substantially with hearing loss. And this does not have to mean only cars, but also foot traffic or crowds in general. The dangers of accidents are increased in small ways like simply avoiding light bumps into other people and massive ways like not hearing a siren or alarm.
Hearing loss also increases the risks of home safety and security. Worst case scenario you might not hear home intruders. And the dangers of many workplaces are increased: heavy machinery, power tools, falling objects.
Balance Problems
We also depend on our central auditory systems to maintain our balance. So the risks of accident from hearing loss come not only from our environments, but internally. Obviously when your balance is thrown off you are more likely to fall. Being dizzy is no joke. Your risk level increases exponentially even in otherwise completely safe environments. Not only would dizziness prevent you from driving or even navigating the grocery store and seeing simple errands through. You might fall down completely unprovoked. You could even just fall out of bed or out of a chair in your home. Keeping up with your hearing health is the best way to minimize the risk of developing problems with your balance.
The Statistics
Studies categorized accidents due to hearing loss in three ways: driving-related, work-related, and leisure-related. Many people assume that just because hearing loss is so common it must be relatively harmless, but nothing could be further from the truth. Studies found that one out of every six people who reports to have suffered an accident in the previous three months also self-reports their hearing to be less than perfect. And overall, people with hearing loss are twice as likely to suffer an injury from an accident than those with perfect hearing.
Don’t Wait
Did you know that among people who use hearing aids they have waited an average of seven years before suspecting that they might need one and actually starting to do so? Did you know that over 2/3 of Americans with disabling hearings loss neglect to treat it?
Hearing loss can be very tricky to self-diagnose for many reasons. Don’t wait. Make an appointment with one of our trained hearing health professionals today.