According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. Sofia is one of those people. She knows to get her oil changed every 3000 miles, she has a checkup with the dentist every six months, and she checks in punctually for her annual medical exam. But she has no idea the last time she took a hearing test or went through any kind of accurate hearing evaluation.
Hearing exams are essential for a wide range of reasons, finding early symptoms of hearing loss is perhaps the most important one. Sophia can keep her hearing healthy for a lot longer by determining how frequently to have her hearing tested.
How Often Each Year Should my Ears Get Tested?
We might be alarmed if Sophia hadn’t had a hearing exam in a decade. Or perhaps we don’t think anything of it. Our response probably will vary depending on her age. That’s because there are different recommendations based on age.
- It’s generally suggested that you undergo a hearing exam about every three years. Obviously, if you feel you should get your ears examined more often, there is no harm. The bare minimum is every three years. You should absolutely get examined more often if you are frequently in a loud setting. It’s simple and painless and there’s truly no reason not to get it done.
- If you’re over fifty years old: But if you’re over fifty, the recommendation is, you get a hearing test yearly. Loss of hearing is more likely to impact your life as you get older because noise damage begins to add up. There are also numerous other variables that can affect your hearing.
If you want to have hearing examinations or tests more frequently, there’s certainly no harm in that, at least when it comes to your hearing. Since the last time you had a hearing exam, you may have new damage you should recognize, so regular hearing tests could be practical.
You Should Get Your Hearing Checked if You Notice These Signs
There are certainly other times besides your yearly hearing exam that you might want to schedule an appointment with us. In some cases, you begin to notice some signs of hearing loss. And in those cases, it’s usually a good idea to immediately contact us and schedule a hearing test.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Sounds become muffled; it’s starting to sound as if you always have water in your ears.
- Listening to your favorite tunes at excessively high volumes.
- Difficulty hearing discussions in loud surroundings.
- It’s common for hearing loss in the high pitched register to go first and because consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they usually fail first.
- When you’re speaking with people, you repeatedly need to keep asking people to repeat themselves.
- Having a very difficult time understanding people when talking on the phone, any phone.
A strong sign that right now is the best time to have a hearing test is when the warning signs start to add up. You need to recognize what’s going on with your hearing and that means having a hearing exam as soon as possible.
What Are The Advantages of Hearing Testing?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for many reasons. Denial is a leading choice. Perhaps thinking about it is something she is simply avoiding. But there are concrete benefits to having your hearing examined per recommendations.
And it will be easier to identify hearing deviations in the future if you get your hearing examined by forming a baseline reading even if it seems like everything is normal. If you identify your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you can protect it better.
The reason for regular hearing testing is that somebody like Sofia will be able to recognize issues before her hearing is diminished permanently. By catching your hearing loss early, by having your hearing tested when you should, you’ll be keeping your ears healthier longer. Understanding the effects of hearing loss on your general health, that’s essential.