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 have her oil changed every 3000 miles, she sees the dentist every six months, and she reports punctually for her yearly medical examination. But she can’t remember the last time she took a hearing exam or underwent any type of accurate hearing assessment.
Hearing tests are essential for a wide range of reasons, detecting early symptoms of hearing loss is likely the most significant one. Knowing how often she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
How Often Each Year Should my Ears Get Tested?
If the last time Sofia took a hearing test was a decade ago, we might be concerned. Or we may think it’s perfectly normal. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions may vary. This is because hearing professionals have different suggestions based on age.
- It’s usually suggested that you have a hearing exam about every three years. There’s no issue having your ears checked more often, of course! The very least is every three years. If you are exposed to loud noise regularly or work in a field where noise is commonplace, you should err on the side of getting screened more often. It’s simple and painless and there’s really no reason not to get it done.
- If you’re over fifty years old: The standard suggestion is that anybody older than fifty should have hearing checks every year. Loss of hearing is more liable to affect your life as you age because noise damage starts to add up. There are also several other variables that can affect your hearing.
If you want to have hearing screenings or tests more frequently, there’s certainly no harm in that, at least in terms of your hearing. Since the last time you had a hearing exam, you might have new damage you should know about, so regular hearing exams might 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 make an appointment with a hearing professional. Sometimes, you start to notice some signs of hearing loss. And in those situations, it’s typically a good idea to immediately 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:
- Sounds seem muffled; it starts to sound as though you constantly have water in your ears.
- Listening to your favorite music at excessively high volumes.
- When you’re speaking with people, you constantly have to keep asking people to speak up.
- Phone conversations are always difficult to hear.
- When you’re in a noisy situation, you have problems hearing conversations.
- It’s common for loss of hearing in the high pitched register to fail first and since consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they usually go first.
A good indicator that right now is the best time to get a hearing exam is when the warning signs begin to add up. You need to recognize what’s going on with your ears and that means getting a hearing exam as soon as possible.
What Are The Advantages of Hearing Testing?
Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Perhaps she hasn’t considered it. Maybe thinking about it is something she is simply avoiding. But getting your hearing tested on the recommended schedule has actual benefits.
Even when your hearing is totally healthy, a hearing exam can help create a standard reading, which makes deviations in the future easier to detect. If you detect your loss of hearing before it becomes obvious, you’ll be able to safeguard it better.
That’s why Sophia has to go to her scheduled hearing exams before any permanent injury happens. Early detection by a hearing examination can help your hearing be healthy for a long time. It’s essential to understand how hearing loss will impact your total state of health.