Believe it or not, it’s been over 10 years since most individuals have had a hearing assessment.
One of those individuals is Harper. She reports to her doctor for her yearly medical test and gets her teeth cleaned every six months. She even gets her timing belt changed every 6000 miles! But her hearing test normally gets ignored.
Hearing evaluations are important for a wide variety of reasons, early detection of hearing loss being one of the more essential. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing test will help Harper keep her ears (and hearing) healthy for as long as possible.
So, just how often should you have a hearing test?
If the last time Harper had a hearing exam was over ten years ago, that’s disconcerting. Or perhaps it isn’t. Our reaction will vary depending on how old she is. Depending on age, guidelines will vary.
- For individuals over 50: Once a year is the suggested routine for hearing assessments in people over 50 years old. Hearing loss is more likely to have an impact on your life as you age because the noise damage that has built-up over a lifetime will speed up that impairment. Plus, there may be other health issues that can impact your hearing.
- If you are under fifty years old: It’s usually recommended that you have a hearing test once every three to ten years or so. Naturally, it’s ok to get a hearing test more frequently. 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 volume levels, you should err on the side of caution and get tested more often. It’s quick, easy, and painless so why wouldn’t you?
You should have your hearing assessed if you notice any of these signs.
Undoubtedly, there are other times, besides the yearly exam, that you might want to come in and see us. Symptoms of hearing loss may start to crop up. And when they do you should schedule an appointment with us for a hearing assessment.
Here are a few indications that you need a hearing exam:
- Your ears seem muffled like you had water in them.
- Difficulty hearing conversations in loud environments.
- You’re having a difficult time hearing sounds in higher frequencies such as consonants.
- Having a very hard time understanding people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise.
- The volume on your stereo or television is getting louder and louder.
- Sudden hearing loss in one ear.
- Asking people to slow down or repeat what they said during a conversation.
It’s a solid hint that it’s time to get a hearing test when the above warning signs start to accumulate. The sooner you get your hearing tested, the sooner you’ll know what’s happening with your ears.
How will a hearing test help?
There are lots of reasons why Harper may be late in having her hearing checked.
Perhaps she hasn’t thought about it.
Maybe she just doesn’t want to deal with it. But there are concrete benefits to getting your hearing tested per recommendations.
Even if you believe your hearing is perfectly healthy, a hearing test will help establish a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. You’ll be in a better position to protect your hearing if you detect 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. Your ears will remain healthy longer by having these regular screenings. If you allow your hearing to go, it can have an impact on your general health.
