It’s hard to believe but most individuals have gone over ten years without having a hearing exam.
Harper is one of them. She goes to see her doctor for her yearly medical test and gets her teeth cleaned every six months. She even knows to get her timing belt changed every 6000 miles! But her hearing exam typically gets neglected.
Hearing evaluations are essential for a multitude of reasons, the most prominent of which is that it’s normally difficult for you to detect the earliest symptoms of hearing loss without one. Knowing 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 tested how often?
If the last time Harper had a hearing exam was over a decade ago, that’s alarming. Or maybe it isn’t. How old she is will greatly determine our reaction. Depending on age, recommendations will vary.
- If you are over fifty years old: The general suggestion is that anybody above fifty years old should schedule annual hearing tests As you get older, the noise damage you’ve sustained over a lifetime can begin to speed up, which means hearing loss is more likely to start affecting your life. Moreover, as we get older we’re more likely to be dealing with other health issues that can have an affect on hearing.
- If you are less than fifty years old: Once every 3 to 10 years is suggested for hearing tests. There’s no harm in getting your ears tested more often, of course! But the bare minimum is once every decade. If you’ve been exposing yourself to loud concert noise or work in a field with high decibel levels, you should err on the side of caution and get tested more often. It’s fast, easy, and painless so why wouldn’t you?
Signs you should get your hearing checked
Undoubtedly, there are other occasions, besides the annual exam, that you might want to come in for a consultation. Symptoms of hearing loss might begin to appear. And when they do you should make an appointment with us for a hearing assessment.
A few of the clues that should prompt you to have a hearing test include:
- Sounds become muffled; it begins to sound as though you always have water in your ears.
- Cranking your tv or car stereo up to excessively high volumes.
- You need people to speak louder or repeat what they said.
- You suddenly can’t hear out of one ear.
- Having a really tough time hearing people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise.
- You’re having a tough time hearing sounds in higher frequencies like consonants.
- You’re having a tough time making out conversations when you’re in a noisy setting.
When the above warning signs start to add up, it’s a good indication that the perfect time to get a hearing test is right now. The sooner you get your hearing tested, the sooner you’ll know what’s happening with your ears.
What are the advantages of hearing testing?
There are plenty of reasons why Harper might be late in having her hearing checked.
Perhaps she hasn’t thought about it.
Maybe she’s intentionally avoiding thinking about it. But getting the recommended hearing tests has tangible benefits.
We can set up a baseline for your hearing, which will help determine any future deviations, even if it’s currently healthy. You’ll be in a better position to safeguard your hearing if you recognize any early hearing loss before it becomes obvious.
The point of regular hearing tests is that somebody like Harper will be able to identify issues before her hearing is permanently diminished. Recognizing your hearing loss early by getting your hearing checked when you should will help you keep your ears healthier, longer. If you allow your hearing to go, it can have an impact on your general health.