Surprisingly, it’s been more than 10 years since most individuals have had a hearing assessment.
One of those people is Harper. She schedules a cleaning and checkup with her dentist every six months and she shows up dutifully for her annual medical examination. She even gets her timing belt changed every 6000 miles! But she always forgets to schedule her hearing exam.
There are many reasons to get hearing assessments, the most notable of which is that it’s often difficult for you to detect the earliest symptoms of hearing loss without one. Harper’s ears and hearing will stay as healthy as possible if she knows how frequently to get her hearing tested.
So, just how frequently should you get a hearing exam?
It’s disconcerting to think that Harper hasn’t had a hearing exam in 10 years. Or we may think it’s completely normal. Our reaction will differ depending on how old she is. That’s because we have different guidelines based on age.
- If you are over fifty years of age: Once a year is the suggested routine for hearing assessments in individuals over fifty. As you age, 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. Plus, there may be other health issues that can affect your hearing.
- For people under 50: It’s generally recommended that you get a hearing exam once every three to ten years or so. Of course, it’s ok to get a hearing exam more often. But once every decade is the bare minimum. If you’ve been exposing yourself to loud concert noise or work in an industry with high volume 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?
You should get your hearing assessed if you notice any of these signs.
Undoubtedly, there are other occasions, besides the annual exam, that you may want to come in for a consultation. Symptoms of hearing loss might begin to appear. And when they do you should schedule an appointment with us for a hearing test.
Some of the signs that should motivate you to get a hearing test include:
- You’re having a hard time hearing sounds in higher frequencies like consonants.
- You’re having a difficult time making out conversations when you’re in a noisy setting.
- Phone conversations are getting harder to hear.
- Asking people to slow down or repeat what they said during a conversation.
- The volume on your stereo or television is getting louder and louder.
- Rapid hearing loss in one ear.
- 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 begin 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 advantages of hearing testing?
There are plenty of reasons why Harper may be late in getting her hearing test.
It may have slipped her mind.
Maybe she’s deliberately avoiding thinking about it. But there are concrete advantages to getting your hearing tested per guidelines.
Even if you believe your hearing is completely healthy, a hearing test will help establish a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. If you can detect your hearing loss before it becomes obvious, you can better safeguard it.
The point of regular hearing tests is that someone like Harper will be able to identify problems before her hearing is permanently diminished. Your ears will stay healthy longer by having these regular screenings. Consider the effects of hearing loss on your general health, it’s that important.
