Surprisingly, it’s been over 10 years since most people have had a hearing exam.
Harper is one of them. She schedules a cleaning and checkup with her dentist every six months and she shows up dutifully for her annual medical test. She even replaces her timing belt every 6000 miles. But her hearing test usually gets neglected.
There are many reasons to get hearing assessments, early detection of hearing loss being one of the most 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 you should have your hearing examined how often?
It’s alarming to think that Harper hasn’t had a hearing exam in 10 years. Or maybe it isn’t. How old she is will largely determine our reaction. Depending on age, recommendations will vary.
- If you are over fifty years old: The general recommendation is that anybody above the age of fifty should make an appointment for annual hearing tests Hearing loss is more likely to have an impact on your life as you get older because the noise damage that has built-up over a lifetime will speed up that impairment. Plus, there might be other health concerns that can impact your hearing.
- For people under 50: It’s usually recommended that you take a hearing test about once every three to ten years. There’s no harm in having your ears checked more frequently, of course! But the bare minimum is once every ten years. And you should play it safe and get checked more often if you work in an occupation that tends to be loud or if you go to a lot of concerts. After all, it’s painless, simple, and there’s really no practical reason not to do it.
You need to have your hearing checked if you experience any of these signs.
Obviously, there are other occasions, besides the annual exam, that you may want to come in for a consultation. Signs of hearing loss might start to crop up. And in those situations, it’s important to contact us and schedule a hearing exam.
Some of the signs that should motivate you to get a hearing exam include:
- You abruptly can’t hear out of one ear.
- You’re having a hard time hearing sounds in higher frequencies like consonants.
- Your ears seem muffled like you had water in them.
- Turning your tv or car stereo up to extremely high volumes.
- Having a really difficult time hearing people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise.
- Difficulty hearing conversations in loud environments.
- Asking people to talk slower or repeat themselves during a conversation.
It’s a strong hint that it’s time to get a hearing test when the above warning signs start to accumulate. You’ll know what’s happening with your ears as soon as you come in for a test.
What are the advantages of hearing testing?
There are lots of reasons why Harper might be late in having her hearing test.
It may have slipped her mind.
It’s possible that she just doesn’t want to deal with it. But getting the suggested hearing tests has concrete benefits.
We can establish 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 noticeable, you can better protect it.
The reason for regular hearing tests is that somebody like Harper will be able to identify issues before her hearing is permanently damaged. Your ears will stay healthy longer by getting these regular screenings. If you let your hearing go, it can have an affect on your overall health.