Why is it essential to have your hearing tested regularly? Well, the reality is that hearing loss can have significant and long-term impacts on your general health. Getting your hearing tested regularly can help you identify hearing loss early, get care quicker, and, improve your health, wellness, and quality of life.
Getting a hearing test – who should do it?
Your health and well-being can be significantly affected by untreated hearing loss. Social isolation, for instance, can be a result of neglected hearing loss. Even while undertaking tasks such as going to the supermarket, people who suffer from hearing loss will tend to avoid reaching out to family and friends because they have a difficult time understanding conversations. It may not be shocking that this type of social isolation can lead to mental health problems, but it might come as a surprise to find out that it can be detrimental to your physical health too.
Hearing loss can cause other problems as well. For instance, untreated hearing loss has been associated with many chronic conditions, including dementia and depression. Comorbidities, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been linked to hearing loss.
This means that it’s generally a good idea for just about anyone to schedule a routine hearing test.
Four reasons to check your hearing
Getting your hearing examined can be helpful to your general health for four distinct reasons.
1. Establishing a baseline for your hearing is important
Why would you want to get your hearing checked if it seems healthy? Well, getting a hearing exam early is a good plan for several reasons. The most important is that a hearing test will give us a precise picture of your current hearing health. If your hearing changes in the future, this will make it simpler to detect. This is particularly true because hearing loss tends to progress gradually, the first symptoms aren’t always noticeable.
Getting a baseline hearing exam will help detect problems long before you observe them.
2. Early diagnosis and treatment is important
Hearing loss normally progresses slowly over time. Consequently, catching hearing loss early frequently means a better prognosis. This is because you’re capable of treating the condition at the earliest possible time.
When you get treatment early it will mean doing things like using ear protection or possibly wearing hearing aids. Treatment can help you avoid many of the related issues listed above, such as cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation.
3. It’s easier to evaluate future changes
Even if you are diagnosed with hearing loss, that doesn’t mean your hearing will remain static for the rest of your life. Routine hearing exams can help you identify changes as you go along, and make adjustments to your treatment plan as needed.
4. Additional damage can be avoided
The majority of hearing loss is caused by damage, the kind of damage that occurs slowly and over time. Seeing us regularly to get your hearing checked helps you detect that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a substantial resource: your hearing specialist. We can give you information, treatments, and best practices that can help keep your ears as healthy as possible.
For example, we can help you identify ways to protect your ears from day-to-day damage or develop strategies created to help you keep sounds around you quieter.
How frequently should I have my hearing tested?
Generally speaking, it’s suggested that adults undergo a hearing exam sometime in their 20s or 30s, on the earlier side. It’s usually standard best practice to get a hearing test every ten years thereafter unless you detect signs of hearing loss or we suggest something more frequently.
But maybe you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing test? Hearing tests are generally entirely non-invasive. Typically, you simply listen for some tones in a special pair of headphones.
We will be able to help you get the treatment you require, whether you need a pair of hearing aids or you simply need to protect your ears. And a hearing exam can help you determine when the best time to get your care might be.