Believe it or not, it’s been more than 10 years since most individuals have had a hearing exam.
Harper is one of them. She goes to see her doctor for her yearly medical test and gets her teeth cleaned every six months. She even knows to get her timing belt replaced every 6000 miles! But she never remembers to schedule her hearing test.
Hearing evaluations are essential for a wide variety of reasons, the most prominent of which is that it’s often difficult for you to detect the earliest symptoms of hearing loss without one. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing test 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 got a hearing assessment was over ten years ago, that’s alarming. Or maybe it isn’t. Our reaction will differ depending on how old she is. Depending on age, recommendations will vary.
- For people over 50: Once a year is the recommended schedule for hearing assessments in people over fifty. As you get older, the noise damage you’ve sustained over a lifetime can begin to accelerate, which means hearing loss is more likely to start affecting your life. Plus, there may be other health concerns that can affect your hearing.
- If you are less than fifty years old: It’s usually recommended that you have a hearing exam once every three to ten years or so. Naturally, it’s fine to get a hearing test more often. But the bare minimum is once every ten years. And you should play it safe and get checked more frequently if you work in a job that tends to be noisy or if you go to a lot of concerts. It’s fast, easy, and painless so why not come in?
You should have your hearing tested if you experience any of these signs.
Needless to say, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing assessment isn’t the only good time to make an appointment with us. Signs of hearing loss might begin to appear. And when they do you need to make an appointment with us for a hearing test.
Some of the signs that should motivate you to have a hearing exam include:
- Asking people to talk slower or repeat what they said during a conversation.
- Difficulty hearing conversations in loud environments.
- Your ears seem muffled like you had water in them.
- You suddenly can’t hear out of one ear.
- Phone conversations are becoming harder to hear.
- You’re having a tough time hearing sounds in higher frequencies like consonants.
- The volume on your stereo or TV is getting louder and louder.
It’s a strong hint that it’s time to get a hearing exam when the above warning signs start to accumulate. The sooner you get your hearing tested, the sooner you’ll know what’s going on with your ears.
How will a hearing test be beneficial?
There are plenty of reasons why Harper may be late in getting her hearing checked.
Maybe she hasn’t thought about it.
Maybe she’s deliberately avoiding thinking about it. But there are concrete benefits to getting your hearing tested per recommendations.
Even if you think your hearing is totally healthy, a hearing test will help set a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. You’ll be in a better position to safeguard your hearing if you recognize any early hearing loss before it becomes noticeable.
Detecting hearing problems before they create permanent hearing loss is the precise reason somebody like Harper should get tested regularly. Your ears will stay healthy longer by having these regular screenings. If you let your hearing go, it can have an affect on your general health.