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 sees the dentist every six months, and she reports punctually for her annual medical exam. But she hasn’t had a hearing test in quite some time.
There are lots of reasons why it’s essential to get hearing assessments, finding first symptoms of hearing loss is likely the most important 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 Many Times Per Year Should my Ears be Checked?
If the last time Sofia had a hearing test was ten years ago, we could be concerned. Or we might think it’s completely normal. Depending on Sophia’s age, reactions could vary. This is because hearing specialists have different suggestions based on age.
- At least every three years, it’s recommended that you have a hearing assessment. Certainly, if you feel you should get your ears examined more frequently, that’s also fine. The bare minimum is every three years. You should certainly get evaluated more frequently if you spend a lot of time in a noisy environment. It’s straight forward and painless and there’s truly no reason not to do it.
- 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 incurred over a lifetime can begin to accelerate, meaning loss of hearing is more likely to start impacting your life. There are also several other factors that can affect your hearing.
When it comes to your hearing, more often is definitely better. Since you last had a hearing test, you may have new damage you should recognize, so more frequent hearing tests might be practical.
You Should Get Your Hearing Checked if You Notice These Signs
There are certainly other times besides your yearly hearing test that you may want to schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist. Sometimes, you begin to notice some signs of hearing loss. And in those instances, it’s usually 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:
- When you’re talking to people, you constantly need to ask people to speak up.
- Having a very hard time comprehending people when talking on the phone, any phone.
- It’s typical for hearing loss in the high pitched register to fail first and because consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they usually fail first.
- Difficulties hearing discussions in loud environments.
- Your hearing is muted as if there is water in your ears.
- Listening to your favorite music at extremely high volumes.
When these warning signs start to accumulate, it’s a good sign that the perfect time to have a hearing test is right now. You need to know what’s going on with your hearing and that means getting a hearing exam as soon as possible.
Hearing Tests, What Are The Advantages?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Maybe she hasn’t considered it. Perhaps she’s just avoiding dealing with it. But there are concrete benefits to getting your hearing tested per recommendations.
And it will be simpler to detect hearing deviations in the future if you get your hearing tested by forming a baseline reading even if it seems like everything is normal. If you detect your loss of hearing before it becomes noticeable, you’ll be able to protect it better.
That’s exactly why Sophia needs to show up for regular hearing exams before any permanent injury happens. By catching your hearing loss early, by having your hearing tested when you’re supposed to, you’ll be keeping your ears healthier longer. It’s important to think about how hearing loss will affect your general health.