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 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 hasn’t had a hearing exam in a long time.
Hearing exams are beneficial for a wide range of reasons, the most notable of which is that it’s normally difficult for you to discover the initial signs of hearing loss if you don’t get one. Knowing how regularly she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as she can for as long as possible.
How Often Do You Need to Get a Hearing Test?
If the last time Sofia had a hearing test was ten years ago, we could be alarmed. Or we might think it’s perfectly normal. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions may vary. That’s because hearing professionals have different suggestions based on age.
- It’s generally recommended that you have a hearing assessment around every three years. Certainly, if you feel you should have your hearing tested more frequently, that’s also fine. The bare minimum is every three years. You should absolutely get evaluated more frequently if you spend a lot of time in a loud setting. There’s no reason not to do it, it’s painless and simple.
- If you are older than fifty: But if you’re above the age of fifty, the recommendation is, you have a hearing exam each year. As you age, the noise damage you’ve sustained over a lifetime can start to accelerate, which means loss of hearing is more likely to start affecting your life. There are also several other variables that can impact your hearing.
As far as your hearing is concerned, more often is absolutely better. The sooner you detect any problems, the more quickly you’ll be able to address whatever hearing loss that may have developed since your last hearing test.
You Should Get Your Hearing Checked if You Notice These Signs
There are certainly other occasions besides your yearly hearing test that you may want to schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist. In some cases, you begin to notice some signs of hearing loss. And in those circumstances, it’s usually a good idea to promptly contact a hearing professional and schedule a hearing exam.
Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:
- Phone interactions are always tough to hear.
- Difficulties hearing conversations in noisy environments.
- Constantly asking people to repeat themselves or slow down during a conversation.
- Sounds become muffled; it starts to sound as if you always have water in your ears.
- It’s typical for hearing loss in the high pitched register to go first and because consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they normally go first.
- Listening to your favorite music at extremely high volumes.
When these warning signs begin to accumulate, it’s a good indication that the perfect time to have a hearing exam is right now. You need to recognize what’s happening with your ears and that means having a hearing exam as soon as possible.
What Are The Advantages of Hearing Testing?
There are plenty of reasons why Sofia may be late in getting her hearing test. Denial is a top choice. Maybe thinking about it is something she’s simply avoiding. But there are concrete benefits to having your hearing checked per recommendations.
Even when your hearing is completely healthy, a hearing test can help create a standard reading, which makes variances in the future easier to detect. If you catch your hearing loss before it becomes obvious, you can safeguard it better.
The reason for regular hearing testing is that somebody like Sofia will be in a position to recognize issues before her hearing is diminished permanently. By catching your hearing loss early, by getting your hearing checked when you should, you’ll be keeping your ears healthier longer. Understanding the effects of hearing loss on your overall health, that’s important.