According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. Sofia is one of them. She goes to her yearly doctor’s appointments, she visits a dentist every six months, and she gets the oil changed in her car every 3000 miles. But she has no idea the last time she had a hearing exam or underwent any kind of accurate hearing evaluation.
Hearing assessments are beneficial for a wide variety of reasons, the most important of which is that it’s normally hard for you to discover the first signs of hearing loss without one. Sophia can keep her hearing healthy for a lot longer by determining how often to get her hearing tested.
How Many Times Per Year Should my Ears Get Tested?
If the last time Sofia had a hearing examination was ten years ago, we may be worried. Or we might think it’s perfectly normal. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions might vary. That’s because hearing specialists have different recommendations based on age.
- At least every three years, it’s recommended that you have a hearing exam. There’s no problem having your ears tested more frequently, of course! But at least every three years is the bare minimum. If you are exposed to loud noise repeatedly or work at a job where noise is commonplace, you should err on the side of getting screened more frequently. There’s no reason not to do it, it’s painless and easy.
- If you are older than fifty: The standard recommendation is that anybody above the age of fifty should undergo hearing checks every year. Hearing loss is more likely to affect your life as you age because noise damage starts to add up. Plus, there are other health concerns that can impact your hearing.
As far as your hearing is concerned, more often is definitely better. Since the last time you had a hearing exam, you may have new damage you should know about, so more frequent hearing tests might be practical.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
Needless to say, your yearly (or semi-annual) hearing test isn’t the only good occasion to schedule an appointment with a hearing professional. As an example, if you notice symptoms of hearing loss. And in those instances, it’s usually a good plan to immediately get in touch with a hearing professional and schedule a hearing test.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Having a very difficult time comprehending people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise
- Turning your music to extremely high volumes (if your neighbors start complaining, that’s a good sign you need to see a hearing specialist right away).
- Having a difficult time hearing 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 sets in)
- When you’re in a noisy environment, you have difficulty hearing conversations.
- Sounds become muffled; it starts to sound as though you constantly have water in your ears.
- Constantly asking people to repeat themselves or slow down during a conversation.
When these warning signs begin to accumulate, it’s a good sign that the ideal time to get a hearing exam is right now. You need to recognize what’s happening with your hearing and that means getting a hearing test sooner rather than later.
Hearing Exams, What Are The Advantages?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Denial is a top choice. It could be that she’s just avoiding dealing with it. But getting your hearing tested on the recommended schedule has tangible benefits.
Even when your hearing is completely healthy, a hearing exam can help set a baseline reading, which makes variances in the future easier to detect. If you identify your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you can safeguard it better.
That’s the reason why Sophia needs to go to her regular hearing exams before any permanent damage happens. Early diagnosis by a hearing exam can help your hearing stay healthy for a long time. Considering the impact of hearing loss on your general health, that’s important.
