It’s hard to believe but most people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test.
Harper is one of them. She goes to see her doctor for her yearly medical exam and gets her teeth cleaned every six months. She even gets her timing belt changed every 6000 miles! But her hearing exam usually gets ignored.
There are a number of reasons to get hearing tests, early detection of hearing loss being one of the more important. Determining how often she should get a hearing test will help Harper keep her ears (and hearing) healthy for as long as possible.
So, just how frequently should you have a hearing assessment?
If the last time Harper got a hearing test was over ten years ago, that’s disconcerting. Or maybe it isn’t. How old she is will greatly determine our reaction. Depending on age, recommendations will differ.
- If you are over fifty years of age: Once a year is the recommended routine for hearing tests in individuals over fifty. As you get older, the noise damage you’ve sustained over a lifetime can begin to speed up, which means hearing loss is more likely to start impacting your life. In addition, there might be other health concerns that can impact your hearing.
- For people under 50: Once every 3 to 10 years is recommended for hearing exams. There’s no harm in having your ears tested more often, of course! But once every decade 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 frequently. It’s quick, simple, and painless so why wouldn’t you?
You should get your hearing assessed if you notice any of these signs.
Naturally, your yearly (or semi-annual) hearing assessment isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with us. Perhaps you begin to notice some signs of hearing loss. And in those situations, it’s important to get in touch with us and schedule a hearing exam.
A few of the signs that should motivate you to get a hearing test include:
- You’re having a difficult time hearing sounds in higher frequencies such as consonants.
- Your ears seem muffled as if you had water in them.
- Turning your television or car stereo up to extremely high volumes.
- Phone conversations are becoming harder to hear.
- Difficulty hearing conversations in noisy environments.
- You need people to speak louder or repeat what they said.
- Rapid hearing loss in one ear.
When the previously mentioned warning signs begin to add up, it’s a good sign that the ideal 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.
It’s possible that she just doesn’t want to deal with it. But there are concrete advantages to getting your hearing tested per recommendations.
Even if you think your hearing is totally healthy, a hearing exam will help set a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to identify. If you can catch your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you can better protect it.
Discovering hearing problems before they produce permanent hearing loss is the precise reason someone like Harper should get tested regularly. Your ears will remain healthy longer by getting these regular screenings. If you let your hearing go, it can have an affect on your general health.