According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. One of those people is Sofia. She goes to her annual doctor’s appointments, she visits a dentist every six months, and she has an oil change in her car every 3000 miles. But she has no idea the last time she had a hearing exam or went through any type of accurate hearing assessment.
Hearing evaluations are beneficial for a wide range of reasons, the most notable of which is that it’s normally hard for you to discover the first signs of hearing loss without one. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing examination will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
How Many Times Per Year Should my Hearing Get Tested?
We might be alarmed if Sophia hadn’t had a hearing examination in a decade. Or maybe it doesn’t phase us. Depending on Sophia’s age, reactions may vary. That’s because hearing professionals have different recommendations based on age.
- It’s usually recommended that you have a hearing assessment every three years or so. Of course, if you feel you should have your ears checked more frequently, there is no harm. But at least every three years is the bare minimum. If you are exposed to loud noise frequently or work in a field where noise is common, you should err on the side of getting tested more frequently. It’s easy and painless and there’s truly no reason not to get it done.
- If you’re older than fifty: The general suggestion is that anyone above the age of fifty should get hearing checks yearly. Loss of hearing is more liable to affect your life as you grow older because noise damage starts to add up. Also, there are other health issues that can affect your hearing.
If you would like to have hearing examinations or tests more frequently, there’s obviously no harm in that, at least when it comes to your hearing. Since the last time you had a hearing assessment, you might have new damage you should recognize, so regular hearing exams may be practical.
Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked
Of course, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing exam isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with a hearing professional. As an example, if you recognize symptoms of hearing loss. And in those cases, it’s typically a good idea to promptly 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 hard time making out consonants (generally, 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 takes hold)
- Constantly asking people to repeat themselves or slow down during a conversation.
- Sounds become muffled; it starts to sound as if you constantly have water in your ears.
- When you’re in a loud environment, you have problems hearing conversations.
- Turning your television or car stereo to extremely high volumes (if your neighbors start complaining, that’s a good sign you should see a hearing specialist right away).
- Phone interactions are always tough to understand
A strong indicator that right now is the best time to get a hearing test is when the warning signs begin to add up. The sooner you get your hearing checked, the sooner you’ll know what’s going on with your ears.
Hearing Exams, What Are The Benefits?
There are plenty of excuses why Sofia might be late in getting her hearing test. Perhaps she hasn’t thought about it. Possibly she’s just avoiding dealing with it. But there are tangible benefits to getting your hearing tested per recommendations.
Even when your hearing is totally healthy, a hearing exam can help create a baseline reading, which makes variances in the future easier to detect. If you detect your loss of hearing before it becomes noticeable, you can safeguard it better.
The reason for regular hearing testing is that someone like Sofia will be able to identify problems before her hearing is impaired permanently. Early diagnosis by a hearing exam can help your hearing stay healthy for a long time. Thinking about the effects of hearing loss on your total health, that’s essential.