It’s difficult to comprehend but most individuals have gone over ten years without having a hearing exam.
One of those individuals is Harper. She schedules a checkup and cleaning with her dentist every six months and she reports dutifully for her yearly medical exam. She even changes her timing belt every 6000 miles. But she always forgets to schedule her hearing test.
There are a number of reasons to get hearing tests, early detection of hearing loss being one of the more important. Determining how frequently she should get their hearing tested will help Harper keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
So you should have your hearing examined how often?
If the last time Harper had a hearing assessment was over a decade ago, that’s alarming. Or we may think it’s perfectly normal. How old she is will largely determine our reaction. Depending on age, guidelines will differ.
- For people over 50: The general recommendation is that anyone above the age of fifty should make an appointment for yearly hearing assessments Hearing loss is more likely to have an impact on your life as you get older because the noise damage that has accumulated over a lifetime will accelerate that impairment. Plus, there might be other health issues that can affect your hearing.
- If you are less than fifty years old: Once every 3 to 10 years is recommended for hearing tests. There’s no harm in having your ears tested more often, of course! But once every ten years is the bare minimum. If you’ve been subjecting yourself to loud concert noise or work in a field with high decibel levels, you should err on the side of caution and get tested more often. After all, it’s painless, simple, and there’s really no good reason not to do it.
Signs you should get your hearing assessed
Needless to say, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing assessment isn’t the only good time to make an appointment with us. Symptoms of hearing loss might begin to surface. And in those situations, it’s important to reach out to us and schedule a hearing assessment.
Here are a few clues that you need a hearing test:
- Your ears sound muffled like you had water in them.
- Turning your tv or car stereo up to extremely high volumes.
- Rapid hearing loss in one ear.
- Having a very difficult time hearing people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise.
- Difficulty hearing conversations in loud environments.
- Asking people to slow down or repeat themselves during a conversation.
- You’re having a hard time hearing sounds in higher frequencies like consonants.
When the previously mentioned warning signs begin to add up, it’s a good sign that the perfect time to get a hearing exam is right now. The sooner you get your hearing tested, the sooner you’ll know what’s happening with your ears.
What are the advantages of hearing testing?
There are lots of reasons why Harper might be late in having her hearing test.
Maybe she hasn’t thought about it.
Maybe she’s deliberately avoiding thinking about it. But getting the suggested hearing tests has concrete benefits.
We can set up a baseline for your hearing, which will help determine any future deviations, even if it’s currently healthy. If you can detect your hearing loss before it becomes obvious, you can better safeguard it.
The point of regular hearing tests is that someone like Harper will be able to identify issues before her hearing is permanently damaged. Recognizing your hearing loss early by having your hearing tested when you should will help you keep your ears healthier, longer. Think about the effects of hearing loss on your overall health, it’s that important.