According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. Sofia is one of them. She knows she has to get her oil changed every 3000 miles, she sees the dentist every six months, and she checks in punctually for her annual medical exam. But she hasn’t had a hearing examination in a long time.
Hearing evaluations are beneficial for a wide range of reasons, detecting early symptoms of hearing loss is likely the most significant one. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
How Frequently Should You Get a Hearing Examination?
We may be alarmed if Sophia hadn’t had a hearing test in ten years. Or perhaps we don’t think anything of it. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions could vary. This is because hearing specialists have different suggestions based on age.
- It’s usually recommended that you undergo a hearing exam around every three years. Of course, if you think you should have your ears checked more often, there is no harm. But at least every three years is the bare minimum. If you are exposed to loud noise frequently or work in a field where noise is common, you should decide to get tested more often. It’s easy and painless and there’s truly no reason not to get it done.
- If you’re over fifty years old: The general suggestion is that anyone above the age of fifty should get hearing checks yearly. Hearing loss is more likely to affect your life as you grow older because noise damage starts to add up. Also, there are other health issues that can affect your hearing.
If you would like to have hearing examinations or tests more often, there’s certainly no harm in that, at least when it comes to your hearing. The sooner you recognize any problems, the more quickly you’ll be able to address whatever loss of hearing that might have developed since your last hearing exam.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
Naturally, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing exam isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with a hearing professional. For example, if you notice signs of hearing loss. And in those circumstances, it’s usually a good idea to immediately get in touch with a hearing professional and schedule a hearing exam.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Having a very difficult time comprehending people when talking on the phone, any phone.
- Difficulties hearing discussions in noisy situations.
- Sounds seem muffled; it’s starting to sound as if you always have water in your ears.
- When you’re talking to people, you constantly need to ask people to speak up.
- Cranking your music to excessively high volumes (if your neighbors start complaining, that’s a good indication you need to see a hearing specialist right away).
- It’s typical for loss of hearing in the high pitched register to go first and because consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they normally go first.
When these warning signs start to accumulate, it’s a strong indication that the ideal time to have a hearing test is right now. You need to recognize what’s happening with your ears and that means getting a hearing test as soon as possible.
What Are The Advantages of Hearing Testing?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for many reasons. Denial is a top choice. Potentially she’s just avoiding dealing with it. But there are actual benefits to getting your hearing tested per recommendations.
And it will be simpler to diagnose hearing deviations in the future if you get your hearing checked by forming a baseline reading even if it seems as if everything is just fine. If you detect your loss of hearing before it becomes noticeable, you’ll be able to safeguard it better.
The reason for regular hearing testing is that someone like Sofia will be enabled to detect concerns before her hearing is diminished permanently. By detecting your hearing loss early, by getting your hearing checked when you’re supposed to, you’ll be giving your ears their best chance of staying healthy. Understanding the impact of hearing loss on your overall health, that’s important.
