Why is it worthwhile to get your hearing assessed on a regular basis? Well, the fact is that hearing loss can have significant and long-term impacts on your overall health. Having your hearing tested regularly can help you detect 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 seriously impacted by untreated hearing loss. For instance, hearing loss can result in extreme social isolation. Talking with family and friends can become more challenging, and people who suffer from hearing loss may be less likely to reach out to others, even during normal activities like grocery shopping or going to work. This type of social isolation can be harmful to your mental health and, possibly somewhat surprisingly, your physical well-being.
Hearing loss can trigger other issues as well. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and cognitive decline, have been linked to neglected hearing loss. Comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been linked to hearing loss.
This means that it’s generally a good plan for just about anybody to schedule a routine hearing test.
Four reasons to monitor your hearing
Getting your hearing checked can be helpful to your general health for four distinct reasons.
1. You can discover the baseline for your healthy hearing
It might seem foolish to get your hearing tested while your hearing is still healthy, right? 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 detailed picture of your current hearing health. If your hearing changes in the future, this will make it simpler to identify. This is especially true because hearing loss tends to progress gradually, the first symptoms are not always obvious.
Getting a baseline hearing exam will help identify problems long before you notice them.
2. Early diagnosis and treatment is important
Hearing loss normally advances slowly over time. As a result, detecting hearing loss early often means a better prognosis. This is because you’re able to treat the condition at the earliest possible juncture.
When you get treatment early it will mean doing things like using ear protection or potentially wearing hearing aids. Many of the related issues like dementia, social isolation, and depression can be avoided with early treatment.
3. Future changes will be easier to measure
Even if you’re diagnosed with hearing loss, that doesn’t mean your hearing won’t continue to get worse as you get older. Regular hearing exams can facilitate early detection and your treatment plan can be adjusted as needed.
4. You can prevent additional damage to your ears
Hearing loss that progresses gradually over time is normally caused by damage. 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 significant resource: your hearing specialist. We can help you keep your hearing as healthy as possible by providing you with treatments, best practices, and information.
For instance, we can help you determine ways to safeguard your ears from day-to-day damage or develop strategies created to help you keep sounds around you quieter.
What should my hearing test routine look like?
Generally speaking, it’s suggested that adults undergo a hearing exam sometime in their 20s or 30s, on the earlier side. Unless we suggest more frequent visits or if you notice any hearing problems, at least every ten years will be the advised interval for hearing exams.
But maybe you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing exam? In general, they’re entirely non-invasive procedures. Frequently, all you do is wear special headphones and listen for a specific sound.
Whether you need 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 may be.