Believe it or not, it’s been more than 10 years since most people have had a hearing test.
One of those people is Harper. She schedules a cleaning and checkup with her dentist every six months and she reports dutifully for her annual medical examination. She even changes her timing belt every 6000 miles. But her hearing test typically gets ignored.
There are lots of reasons to get hearing assessments, early detection of hearing loss being one of the more essential. Harper’s ears and hearing will stay as healthy as possible if she determines how often to get her hearing checked.
So, just how often should you get a hearing exam?
If the last time Harper had a hearing exam was over ten years ago, that’s disconcerting. Or perhaps it isn’t. How old she is will greatly determine our reaction. Depending on age, recommendations will vary.
- For people over 50: Once annually is the suggested routine for hearing exams in people over 50 years old. As you age, the noise damage you’ve sustained over a lifetime can begin to speed up, which means hearing loss is more likely to start affecting your life. Also, as we get older we’re more likely to be dealing with other health issues that can have an impact on hearing.
- If you are less than fifty years old: Once every 3 to 10 years is suggested for hearing assessments. There’s no harm in having your ears checked more frequently, of course! But the bare minimum is once every decade. If you’ve been exposing yourself to loud concert noise or work in an industry with high decibel levels, you should err on the side of caution and get tested more often. It’s fast, simple, and painless so why wouldn’t you?
Signs you should have your hearing checked
Undoubtedly, there are other occasions, besides the annual exam, that you might want to come in for a consultation. Symptoms of hearing loss may begin to crop up. And in those cases, it’s important to reach out to us and schedule a hearing test.
Some of the clues that should motivate you to have a hearing test include:
- Having a tough time hearing consonants (in general, consonants are spoken in a higher wavelength than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are frequently the first to go as hearing loss takes hold.)
- Trouble hearing conversations in loud environments.
- Your ears seem muffled as if you had water in them.
- Sudden hearing loss in one ear.
- Phone conversations are becoming harder to hear.
- The volume on your stereo or TV is getting louder and louder.
- You need people to speak louder or repeat themselves.
When the previously mentioned warning signs begin to add up, it’s a good sign that the perfect time to get a hearing test is right now. The sooner you get your hearing checked, the sooner you’ll know what’s going on with your ears.
How will a hearing test be beneficial?
Harper may be late having her hearing checked for several reasons.
Maybe she hasn’t thought about it.
Maybe she just doesn’t want to deal with it. But there are tangible advantages to getting your hearing tested per guidelines.
We can establish a baseline for your hearing, which will help determine any future deviations, even if it’s currently healthy. If you can catch your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you can better safeguard it.
The reason for regular hearing tests is that somebody like Harper will be able to detect problems before her hearing is permanently diminished. Your ears will stay healthy longer by getting these regular screenings. If you let your hearing go, it can have an impact on your general health.