You will still visit your eye doctor yearly even if you already use eyeglasses. Because your eyes change as time passes. Similar to the rest of your body, your eyes aren’t static and neither are your ears. That’s why, even after you’ve purchased hearing aids, it’s important to consistently get your ears examined just like you would with your eyes.
Regrettably, many individuals skip those regular check-ups. Perhaps a trip to their doctor is taking a back seat to enjoying life. Or perhaps, work has been especially stressful this year. Or perhaps you’ve simply decided to not go back in because you’re so happy with your hearing aids. It seems like that would be good, right?
Scheduling a hearing assessment
Let’s use Daphne as our imaginary stand-in. For quite a while, Daphne has detected some symptoms connected to her hearing. Her TV volume is getting louder and louder. When she goes out after work to a loud restaurant, she has trouble following conversations. And because she likes to take care of herself, and she’s smart, she schedules a hearing exam.
Daphne makes certain to follow all of the steps to manage her hearing impairment: she buys hearing aids, which are then correctly fitted and calibrated, and then she gets on with her life.
Issue solved? Well, maybe not entirely. Going in for an exam allowed her to recognize her hearing loss early and that’s excellent. But, over time, follow-up care becomes almost more significant for people with even minor hearing loss. Daphne would be doing herself a favor by going to regular appointments. However, one study found that only about 33% of senior citizens with hearing aids get regular check-ups so Daphne isn’t alone.
Why do you need check-ups once you get hearing aids?
Alright, remember our glasses metaphor? Daphne’s hearing won’t become fixed and stop changing just because she uses hearing aids. It’s necessary to adjust the hearing aids to deal with those changes. Any hearing changes can be discovered early with regular monitoring.
And that’s not even the only reason why it might be a good idea to keep regular appointments after you get your hearing aids. Some of the most prevailing reasons to make sure you get to your next appointment include:
- Hearing aid calibration: Your hearing changes in slight ways, and while your general hearing may remain stable, these small changes could require you to get regular hearing assessments. Your hearing aid may become less and less effective if you avoid this calibration.
- Hearing deterioration: Even with a hearing aid, your hearing could keep deteriorating. Frequently, this deterioration of your hearing is quite slow and without regular examinations, you probably won’t even detect it. Correct adjustments to your hearing aids can frequently slow hearing loss.
- Your fit may change: It’s likely that there will be a change in the way your hearing aids fit as your ears are always changing. Making certain your hearing aids continue to fit well is a significant part of your regular check-ups.
Dangers and roadblocks
The main concern here is that sooner or later, the hearing aids Daphne is wearing will stop working the way they’re meant to, so she’ll get frustrated with them and stop wearing them altogether. Over time, hearing loss can be slowed by using hearing aids. If you quit using them, not only can your hearing deteriorate faster, you may not notice it right away.
If you want your hearing aids to keep working efficiently, routine exams are going to be your best option in terms of attaining that. Safeguard your hearing and make sure your hearing aids are properly working by getting routine screenings.