Why is having routine hearing assessments important? That’s because your overall health can be significantly affected by hearing loss. Having your hearing screened regularly can help you identify hearing loss early, get care quicker, and, improve your health, well-being, and quality of life.
Getting a hearing exam – who should do it?
Your health and well-being can be seriously affected by untreated hearing loss. Social isolation, for example, can be a consequence of neglected hearing loss. Even while doing tasks like going to the supermarket, people who suffer from hearing loss will tend to avoid reaching out to friends and family because they have a hard time understanding conversations. This sort of social isolation can be detrimental to your mental health and, possibly somewhat surprisingly, your physical well-being.
Other health issues can come from untreated hearing loss also. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and dementia, have been associated with neglected hearing loss. Comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been associated with hearing loss.
So scheduling a routine hearing test will be a good strategy for pretty much everybody.
Four reasons to monitor your hearing
There are four significant reasons why keeping an eye on your hearing can be worthwhile to your general health.
1. Establishing a baseline for your hearing is important
It might seem foolish to get your hearing tested while your hearing is still healthy, right? Well, getting a hearing test early is a good idea for several reasons. The most significant is that a hearing test will give us an accurate picture of your present hearing health. This will make it much easier to identify any changes in the future. Early symptoms of hearing loss frequently go unnoticed because hearing loss often progresses slowly over time.
Before you observe any symptoms, a hearing test will help identify hearing loss in its early stages.
2. Diagnose and treat issues earlier
Hearing loss typically progresses slowly over time. You’ll have a better prognosis, as a result, if you recognize your hearing loss early. If you treat the condition as early as possible, you will have more positive results.
Early treatment may include anything from taking steps to safeguard your hearing like using ear protection in loud spaces to the use of hearing aids. Treatment can help prevent many of the associated problems listed above, including cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation.
3. Future changes will be easier to measure
Even if you are diagnosed with hearing loss, that doesn’t mean your hearing will remain static for the rest of your life. Regular hearing assessments can enable early detection and your treatment plan can be adjusted as needed.
4. You can avoid further damage to your ears
Hearing loss that develops slowly over time is usually caused by damage. Seeing us regularly to get your hearing checked helps you identify that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a significant resource: your hearing specialist. We can provide you with information, treatments, and best practices that can help keep your hearing as healthy as possible.
We can help you determine ways to keep sounds around you quieter and also help you protect your ears from day-to-day damage.
How frequently should I have my hearing assessed?
Generally speaking, it’s recommended that adults get a hearing test sometime in their 20s or 30s, on the earlier side. Unless we recommend more frequent visits or if you notice any hearing problems, at least every ten years will be the advised interval for hearing tests.
But maybe you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing test? Hearing exams are generally entirely non-invasive. Usually, you simply listen for some tones in a special pair of headphones.
Whether you require some hearing protection or a new pair of hearing aids, we will be able to help you with the best hearing care. And a hearing test can help you figure out when the best time to get your care might be.