Believe it or not, it’s been over 10 years since most people have had a hearing test.
One of those people is Harper. She goes to see her doctor for her yearly medical test and has her teeth cleaned every six months. She even knows to get her timing belt replaced every 6000 miles! But she always forgets to schedule her hearing exam.
There are a number of reasons to get hearing exams, early detection of hearing loss being one of the most important. Harper’s ears and hearing will stay as healthy as possible if she knows how frequently to get her hearing checked.
So you should get your hearing examined how often?
If the last time Harper had a hearing exam was over a decade ago, that’s disconcerting. Or maybe it isn’t. Our reaction will differ depending on her age. That’s because we have different recommendations based on age.
- If you are over fifty years old: The general recommendation is that anyone over fifty years old should make an appointment for annual hearing evaluations. As you get older, 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 individuals under 50: Once every 3 to 10 years is recommended for hearing assessments. There’s no harm in having your ears tested more frequently, of course! But once every ten years is the bare minimum. And you should play it safe and get checked more often if you work in a job that tends to be loud or if you go to a lot of concerts. After all, it’s painless, simple, and there’s really no practical reason not to do it.
You need to have your hearing tested if you notice any of these signs.
Naturally, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing test isn’t the only good time to make an appointment with us. Signs of hearing loss might start to appear. And when they do you need to make an appointment with us for a hearing test.
A few of the clues that should prompt you to have a hearing test include:
- You’re having a tough time hearing sounds in higher frequencies such as consonants.
- Sounds get muffled; it starts to sound as if you always have water inside of your ears.
- You abruptly can’t hear out of one ear.
- You’re having a hard time making out conversations when you’re in a noisy setting.
- You need people to talk louder or repeat what they said.
- Phone conversations are getting more difficult to hear.
- Turning your television or car stereo up to excessively high volumes.
When the above warning signs start to add up, it’s a good sign that the ideal time to get a hearing test is right now. You’ll know what’s happening with your ears as soon as you come in for a test.
How will a hearing test help?
There are lots of reasons why Harper may be late in getting her hearing checked.
It might have slipped her mind.
It’s possible that she just doesn’t want to deal with it. But getting the suggested hearing tests has tangible benefits.
Even if you believe your hearing is perfectly healthy, a hearing test will help set a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. If you can detect your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, 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 getting these regular screenings. If you let your hearing go, it can have an affect on your overall health.