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 schedules a cleaning and checkup with her dentist every six months and she shows up dutifully for her yearly medical examination. She even replaces her timing belt every 6000 miles. But her hearing test usually gets ignored.
Hearing tests are important for a wide variety of reasons, early detection of hearing loss being one of the more important. Determining how often she should get their hearing tested will help Harper keep her ears (and hearing) healthy for as long as possible.
So you should have your hearing examined how often?
If the last time Harper got a hearing test was over ten years ago, that’s disconcerting. Or we might think it’s perfectly normal. Our reaction will differ depending on her age. Depending on age, recommendations will differ.
- If you are over fifty years of age: The general suggestion is that anybody over fifty years old should make an appointment for annual hearing evaluations. As you age, 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. Also, as we age we’re more likely to be dealing with other health conditions that can have an affect on hearing.
- If you are under fifty years old: Once every 3 to 10 years is suggested for hearing exams. Obviously, it’s ok to get a hearing assessment more frequently. But the bare minimum is once every ten years. And you should play it safe and get tested more often if you work in a job that tends to be noisy or if you go to a lot of concerts. It’s quick, easy, and painless so why wouldn’t you?
Indications you need to have your hearing assessed
Naturally, your yearly (or semi-annual) hearing test isn’t the only good time to make an appointment with us. Signs of hearing loss may begin to surface. And when they do you need to make an appointment with us for a hearing assessment.
Here are some indications that you need a hearing exam:
- Turning your television or car stereo up to extremely high volumes.
- Asking people to slow down or repeat themselves during a conversation.
- You abruptly can’t hear out of one ear.
- Trouble hearing conversations in loud environments.
- Your ears seem muffled as if you had water in them.
- Phone conversations are becoming harder to hear.
- You’re having a tough time hearing sounds in higher frequencies like consonants.
It’s a solid hint that it’s time to get a hearing test when the above warning signs start to accumulate. You’ll know what’s going on with your ears as soon as you come in for an evaluation.
How will a hearing test help?
Harper may be late getting her hearing test for a number of reasons.
It might 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 set up a baseline for your hearing, which will help identify any future deviations, even if it’s presently healthy. You’ll be in a better position to protect your hearing if you recognize any early hearing loss before it becomes obvious.
Discovering hearing problems before they cause permanent hearing loss is the precise reason someone like Harper should get tested regularly. 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.