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 has an oil change in her car every 3000 miles. But she hasn’t had a hearing examination in a long time.
There are many reasons why it’s essential to get hearing exams, finding first symptoms of hearing loss is probably the most essential one. Knowing how often she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as she can for as long as possible.
How Many Times Per Year Should my Hearing Get Checked?
If the last time Sofia had a hearing examination was a decade ago, we may be worried. Or maybe it doesn’t phase us. Our response, and the reaction of her hearing specialist, most likely will vary depending on how old she is. This is because hearing professionals have different suggestions based on age.
- It’s generally recommended that you have a hearing assessment every three years or so. Obviously, if you think you should get your hearing tested more frequently, there is no harm. The bare minimum is every three years. You should absolutely get tested more often if you spend a lot of time in a noisy environment. It’s straight forward and painless and there’s truly no reason not to do it.
- If you’re older than fifty: But if you’re above the age of fifty, the recommendation is, you have a hearing test yearly. Hearing loss is more liable to affect your life as you get older because noise damage starts to add up. Also, there are other health concerns that can affect your hearing.
When it comes to your hearing, more often is certainly better. The sooner you recognize any problems, the sooner you’ll be capable of addressing whatever loss of hearing that might have developed since your last hearing test.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
There are undoubtedly other times besides your yearly hearing test that you may want to schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist. As an example, if you notice signs of hearing loss. And in those cases, it’s usually a good plan to immediately contact a hearing specialist and schedule a hearing test.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Turning your music to extremely high volumes (if your neighbors begin to complain, that’s a good indication you should see a hearing specialist right away).
- Having a difficult time making out consonants (in general, 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)
- Having a very difficult time understanding people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise
- Your hearing is muted like there is water in your ears.
- When you’re in a loud environment, you have difficulty hearing conversations.
- Continually asking people to slow down or repeat themselves during a conversation.
When these warning signs start to add up, it’s a good indication that the perfect time to have a hearing test is right now. You need to know what’s going on with your hearing and that means getting a hearing exam as soon as possible.
Hearing Exams, What Are The Benefits?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Denial is a top choice. Maybe thinking about it is something she’s simply avoiding. But getting your hearing tested on the recommended schedule has tangible benefits.
And it will be simpler to identify hearing deviations in the future if you have your hearing tested by establishing a baseline reading even if it seems as if everything is just fine. If you detect your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you’ll be able to safeguard it better.
The point of regular hearing testing is that somebody like Sofia will be able to identify issues before her hearing is permanently impaired. Early diagnosis by a hearing assessment can help your hearing stay healthy for a long time. It’s essential to consider how hearing loss will influence your total health.