Why is it essential to get your hearing examined on a regular basis? Well, the reality is that hearing loss can have considerable and long-term effects on your overall health. Getting your hearing screened regularly can help you identify hearing loss early, get care faster, and, improve your health, well-being, and quality of life.
Getting a hearing test – who should do it?
Your health and well-being can be significantly impacted by neglected hearing loss. For example, hearing loss can lead to intense social isolation. Talking with family and friends can become more challenging, and those with hearing loss may be less likely to reach out to other people, even during routine 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. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and dementia, have been associated with untreated hearing loss. Comorbidities, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been associated with hearing loss.
As a result, it’s generally a good idea for just about anyone to schedule a routine hearing test.
Four reasons to monitor your hearing
There are four noteworthy reasons why checking your hearing can be worthwhile to your overall health.
1. Establishing a baseline for your hearing is important
It may seem ridiculous to get your hearing tested while your hearing is still healthy, right? Well, getting a hearing exam early is a good plan for a number of reasons. The most significant is that a hearing exam will give us a precise picture of your present hearing health. This will make it much easier to detect any changes in the future. This is particularly true because hearing loss tends to progress slowly, the first symptoms aren’t always apparent.
Getting a baseline hearing exam will help detect issues well before you notice them.
2. Diagnose and treat issues earlier
Hearing loss is normally a gradual condition, meaning it often gets worse over time. Consequently, identifying 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 associated problems listed above, including dementia, depression, and social isolation.
3. Future changes will be easier to assess
Your hearing loss will continue to progress even after you get diagnosed. Regular hearing exams can enable early detection and your treatment plan can be modified as needed.
4. Additional damage can be avoided
The majority of hearing loss is caused by damage, the type of damage that happens gradually and over time. Visiting us regularly to get your hearing checked helps you identify that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a substantial resource: your hearing specialist. We can help you keep your ears as healthy as possible by providing you with treatments, best practices, and information.
For instance, we can help you identify ways to protect your ears from day-to-day damage or establish strategies created to help you keep sounds around you quieter.
How frequently should I have my hearing assessed?
On the earlier side, adults should put off no longer than their early twenties to start routine hearing tests. Unless we suggest more frequent visits or if you detect any hearing issues, at least every ten years will be the advised interval for hearing tests.
What should I expect my hearing exam to be like? Hearing tests are usually completely non-invasive. Often, all you do is put on special headphones and listen for a specific sound.
We will be able to help you get the treatment you require, whether you need a pair of hearing aids or you just need to safeguard your ears. And we can help you figure out what your hearing test schedule should be.