Why is having routine hearing tests important? That’s because your general health can be considerably impacted by hearing loss. Having your hearing assessed regularly can help you identify hearing loss early, get care faster, and, improve your health, well-being, and quality of life.
Getting a hearing exam – who should do it?
A loss in hearing capability can produce effects that can significantly hamper your health and wellness. Social isolation, for instance, can be a consequence of untreated hearing loss. Discussions with family and friends can become more difficult, and individuals with hearing loss may be less likely to reach out to others, even during normal activities like shopping or going to work. This kind of social isolation can be detrimental to your mental health and, possibly somewhat surprisingly, your physical wellness.
Other health issues can be the result of untreated hearing loss also. For example, neglected hearing loss has been associated with many chronic conditions, including cognitive decline and depression. It’s also been linked to a number of comorbidities, including diabetes, heart problems, and high blood pressure.
So scheduling a routine hearing test will be a good plan for pretty much everyone.
Four reasons to check your hearing
Getting your hearing examined can be helpful to your general health for four specific reasons.
1. Setting a baseline for your hearing is significant
Why would you want to get your hearing checked if it seems healthy? Well, there are several good reasons to get a hearing exam early. Your current level of hearing can be established by a hearing test and that’s probably the most significant thing. If your hearing changes in the future, this will make it easier to detect. Early symptoms of hearing loss frequently go undetected because hearing loss often develops slowly over time.
Before you observe any symptoms, a hearing test will help detect hearing loss in its early stages.
2. Early diagnosis and treatment is important
Hearing loss usually progresses gradually over time. You’ll have a better prognosis, as a result, if you recognize your hearing loss early. This is because you’re able to treat the condition at the earliest possible juncture.
Early treatment could include anything from taking steps to safeguard your hearing like using ear protection in noisy settings to the use of hearing aids. Treatment can help you avoid many of the associated problems listed above, including cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation.
3. Future changes will be easier to evaluate
Even if you’re diagnosed with hearing loss, that doesn’t mean your hearing won’t continue to get worse as you get older. Routine hearing tests can help you detect changes as you go along, and make adjustments to your treatment plan as needed.
4. You can prevent additional damage to your ears
The majority of hearing loss is caused by damage, the kind of damage that happens slowly and over time. Seeing us regularly to get your hearing assessed helps you identify that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a considerable resource: your hearing specialist. We can provide you with information, treatments, and best practices that can help keep your ears 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.
What should my hearing exam routine look like?
On the earlier side, adults should wait no longer than their early twenties to start routine hearing tests. Unless we recommend more frequent visits or if you detect any hearing issues, at least every ten years will be the advised interval for hearing exams.
What should I expect my hearing test to be like? Generally, they’re completely non-invasive procedures. Frequently, all you do is wear special headphones and listen for a particular sound.
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 exam can help you determine when the best time to get your care might be.