It’s Important to Get Your Hearing Checked Regularly. Here’s What You Should Know

According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. One of those people is Sofia. She goes to her annual 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 quite some time.

Hearing evaluations are beneficial for a wide range of reasons, detecting first symptoms of hearing loss is likely the most essential one. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing examination will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as she can for as long as possible.

How Often Do You Need to Have a Hearing Test?

If the last time Sofia took a hearing exam was ten years ago, we might be concerned. Or we may think it’s perfectly normal. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions might vary. That’s because hearing professionals have different recommendations based on age.

• It’s normally recommended that you take a hearing exam every three years or so. There’s no issue having your ears examined more often, of course! The very least is every three years. You should certainly get evaluated more often if you spend a lot of time in a noisy setting. There’s no reason not to get it done, it’s painless and simple.
• If you’re older than fifty: The universal recommendation is that anybody above the age of fifty should have hearing checks annually. As you age, the noise damage you’ve suffered over a lifetime can begin to accelerate, meaning hearing loss is more likely to begin impacting your life. Also, there are other health problems that can affect your hearing.

When it comes to your hearing, more often is certainly better. Since the last time you had a hearing exam, you might have new injury you should recognize, so more frequent hearing exams might be practical.

You Should Get Your Hearing Checked if You Notice These Signs

Obviously, your yearly (or semi-annual) hearing exam isn’t the only good occasion to make an appointment with a hearing specialist. As an example, if you notice signs of hearing loss. And in those cases, it’s usually a good plan to immediately get in touch with a hearing professional and schedule a hearing exam.

Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:

• Your hearing is muted like there is water in your ears.
• Regularly asking people to repeat themselves or slow down during a conversation.
• It’s common for loss of hearing in the high pitched register to fail first and since consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they usually go first.
• Cranking your television or car stereo to extremely high volumes (if your neighbors start complaining, that’s a good indication you should see a hearing specialist right away).
• Difficulty hearing conversations in noisy surroundings.
• Phone interactions are always difficult to hear.

A good indicator that right now is the best time to get a hearing test is when the warning signs start to add up. The more frequently you get your hearing tested, the sooner you’ll know what’s going on with your ears.

What Are The Advantages of Hearing Testing?

Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Denial is a top choice. Possibly she’s just avoiding thinking about it. But getting your hearing tested on the recommended schedule has tangible benefits.

And it will be easier to diagnose hearing deviations in the future if you get your hearing tested by establishing a baseline reading even if it seems like everything is normal. You can safeguard your hearing better if you detect it before it becomes an issue.

That’s why Sophia has to go to her scheduled hearing appointments before any permanent injury happens. By detecting your hearing loss early, by getting your hearing checked when you’re supposed to, you’ll be keeping your ears healthier longer. It’s essential to think about how hearing loss will affect your total health.