According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. Sofia is one of those people. She goes to her yearly doctor’s appointments, she visits a dentist every six months, and she gets the oil changed in her car every 3000 miles. But she has no idea the last time she took a hearing test or underwent any kind of accurate hearing assessment.
There are lots of reasons why it’s important to get hearing evaluations, the most important of which is that it’s usually hard for you to notice the first signs of hearing loss without one. Sophia can keep her hearing healthy for a much longer period of time by determining how often to get her hearing checked.
How Often Each Year Should my Hearing Get Tested?
We may be alarmed if Sophia hadn’t had a hearing test in ten years. Or we may think it’s perfectly normal. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions might vary. That’s because hearing specialists have different recommendations based on age.
- If you are over fifty years old: But if you’re over fifty, the suggestion is, you have a hearing exam annually. As you age, the noise damage you’ve suffered over a lifetime can begin to accelerate, meaning loss of hearing is more likely to begin impacting your life. There are also several other factors that can affect your hearing.
- At least every three years, it’s recommended that you take a hearing exam. Obviously, if you think you should have your ears checked more often, there is no harm. The very least is every three years. If you are exposed to loud noise regularly or work at a job where noise is common, you should decide to get screened more often. There’s no reason not to do it, it’s painless and easy.
If you want to undergo hearing examinations or tests more often, there’s obviously no harm in that, at least in terms of your hearing. Since the last time you had a hearing test, you may have new damage you should know about, so regular hearing exams could be helpful.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
Needless to say, your yearly (or semi-annual) hearing exam isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with a hearing professional. For example, if you recognize symptoms of hearing loss. And in those instances, it’s typically a good idea to promptly contact a hearing professional and schedule a hearing exam.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Trouble hearing discussions in noisy surroundings.
- Cranking your music to excessively high volumes (if your neighbors begin to complain, that’s a good sign you should see a hearing specialist soon).
- Your hearing is dull as if there is water in your ears.
- Constantly asking people to repeat themselves or slow down during a conversation.
- Phone interactions are always difficult to understand
- Having a tough time making out consonants (generally, consonants are spoken in a higher pitch than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are often the first to go as hearing loss takes hold)
When these warning signs start to add up, it’s a good sign that the perfect time to get a hearing test is right now. You need to know what’s happening with your ears and that means getting a hearing test as soon as possible.
What Are The Benefits of Hearing Testing?
There are plenty of reasons why Sofia may be late in getting her hearing test. Denial is a top choice. Perhaps thinking about it is something she is simply avoiding. But there are actual benefits to having your hearing checked per recommendations.
And it will be simpler to detect hearing deviations in the future if you have your hearing checked by establishing a baseline reading even if it seems as if everything is just fine. You can protect your hearing better if you identify it before it becomes an issue.
That’s exactly why Sophia needs to go to her scheduled hearing appointments before any permanent injury happens. Early detection by a hearing exam can help your hearing be healthy for a long time. It’s essential to consider how hearing loss will affect your overall health.