Surprisingly, it’s been more than 10 years since most people have had a hearing assessment.
Harper is one of them. She reports to her doctor for her yearly medical exam and has her teeth cleaned every six months. She even gets her timing belt changed every 6000 miles! But she never remembers to schedule her hearing exam.
Hearing evaluations are important for a wide variety of reasons, early detection of hearing loss being one of the more essential. Harper’s ears and hearing will remain as healthy as possible if she knows how frequently to get her hearing checked.
So, just how often should you get a hearing assessment?
If the last time Harper took a hearing assessment was over a decade ago, that’s alarming. Or maybe it isn’t. Our reaction will differ depending on how old she is. That’s because we have different guidelines based on age.
- For individuals over 50: The general suggestion is that anybody above the age of fifty 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 impacting your life. Moreover, as we get older we’re more likely to have other health conditions that can have an impact on hearing.
- For individuals under 50: It’s generally recommended that you get a hearing test once every three to ten years or so. There’s no harm in getting your ears checked more often, of course! But once every decade is the bare minimum. And you should be cautious and get tested more often if you work in an occupation that tends to be noisy or if you go to a lot of concerts. It’s fast, simple, and painless so why wouldn’t you?
You need to have your hearing checked if you experience any of these signs.
Needless to say, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing test isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with us. Symptoms of hearing loss might begin to surface. And in those situations, it’s important to contact us and schedule a hearing assessment.
Here are a few indications that you need a hearing test:
- Having a really tough time hearing people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise.
- Sudden hearing loss in one ear.
- Having a hard time hearing consonants (in general, consonants are spoken in a higher wavelength than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are frequently the first to go as hearing loss sets in.)
- Asking people to slow down or repeat themselves during a conversation.
- You’re having a difficult time making out conversations when you’re in a noisy setting.
- Turning your television or car stereo up to excessively high volumes.
- Your ears seem muffled like you had water in them.
It’s a strong hint that it’s time to get a hearing test when the above warning signs start to add up. You’ll know what’s going on with your ears as soon as you come in for a test.
What are the benefits of hearing testing?
There are plenty of reasons why Harper may be late in having her hearing test.
It may have slipped her mind.
Maybe she’s intentionally avoiding thinking about it. But there are concrete advantages to getting your hearing examined per guidelines.
Even if you believe your hearing is perfectly healthy, a hearing test will help set a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. If you can catch your hearing loss before it becomes obvious, you can better safeguard it.
The reason for regular hearing tests is that somebody like Harper will be able to detect issues before her hearing is permanently damaged. Your ears will stay healthy longer by having these regular screenings. If you let your hearing go, it can have an affect on your general health.