According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. One of those people is Sofia. She goes to her annual doctor’s appointments, she visits a dentist every six months, and she has an oil change in her car every 3000 miles. But she can’t remember the last time she took a hearing exam or went through any sort of accurate hearing evaluation.
There are a number of reasons why it’s essential to have hearing evaluations, the most important of which is that it’s often hard for you to notice the initial signs of hearing loss if you don’t get one. Knowing how often she should get a hearing exam will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as she can for as long as possible.
How Often Do You Need to Have a Hearing Examination?
If the last time Sofia took a hearing examination was a decade ago, we could be worried. Or maybe it doesn’t phase us. Our reaction, and the reaction of her hearing specialist, most likely will vary depending on her age. This is because hearing specialists have different recommendations based on age.
- At least every three years, it’s suggested that you take a hearing assessment. Certainly, if you think you should get your ears checked more frequently, there is no harm. But once every three years is the bare minimum. You should definitely get examined more frequently if you are frequently in a loud setting. It’s straight forward and painless and there’s truly no reason not to get it done.
- If you are older than fifty: But if you’re over fifty, the suggestion is, you have a hearing exam annually. Loss of hearing is more likely to impact your life as you get older because noise damage starts to add up. Plus, there are other health concerns that can impact your hearing.
If you would like to undergo hearing screenings or tests more often, there’s certainly no harm in that, at least in terms of your hearing. The sooner you identify any issues, the sooner you’ll be able to address whatever hearing loss that may have developed since your last hearing exam.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
Needless to say, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing test isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist. For example, if you notice signs of hearing loss. And in those situations, it’s typically a good plan to promptly contact a hearing specialist and schedule a hearing test.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- When you’re talking to people, you repeatedly have to ask people to speak up.
- Having a very hard time comprehending people when talking on the phone, any phone.
- Your hearing is muted like there is water in your ears.
- Listening to your favorite tunes at excessively high volumes.
- Trouble hearing conversations in loud surroundings.
- Having a hard time making out consonants (in general, consonants are spoken in a higher wavelength than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are usually the first to go as hearing loss takes hold)
When these warning signs start to add up, it’s a strong sign that the appropriate time to get a hearing exam is right now. The more frequently you have your hearing tested, the sooner you’ll know what’s going on with your hearing.
What Are The Benefits of Hearing Testing?
Sophia might be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Denial is a top choice. It could be that she’s just avoiding dealing with it. But getting your hearing examined on the recommended schedule has concrete advantages.
Even when your hearing is completely healthy, a hearing exam can help set a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. If you detect your loss of hearing before it becomes obvious, you’ll be able to safeguard it better.
That’s the reason why Sophia has to show up for regular hearing exams before any permanent injury happens. Early diagnosis by a hearing exam can help your hearing stay healthy for a long time. Understanding the effects of hearing loss on your overall health, that’s essential.