Why is it essential to get your hearing assessed on a regular basis? That’s because your general health can be considerably affected by hearing loss. Getting 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 test – who should do it?
A loss in hearing capability can produce effects that can seriously hinder your health and wellness. 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 family and friends because they have a difficult time understanding conversations. This kind of social isolation can be harmful to your mental health and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, your physical wellness.
Other health issues can be the result of neglected hearing loss also. For example, neglected hearing loss has been associated with many chronic conditions, including dementia and depression. Comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been associated with hearing loss.
So scheduling a routine hearing assessment will be a good plan for pretty much everybody.
Four reasons to monitor your hearing
Getting your hearing checked can be helpful to your overall health for four distinct reasons.
1. Setting a baseline for your hearing is significant
It may seem foolish to take a hearing test while your hearing is still healthy, right? Well, getting a hearing exam early is a good idea for a number of reasons. Your current level of hearing can be determined by a hearing exam and that’s probably the most significant thing. This will make it much easier to identify any changes in the future. Early symptoms of hearing loss frequently go undetected because hearing loss often progresses slowly over time.
Getting a baseline hearing exam will help identify issues long before you notice them.
2. Diagnose and treat problems earlier
Hearing loss usually progresses gradually over time. Consequently, detecting hearing loss early often means a better prognosis. If you treat the condition as early as possible, you will have more positive results.
Early treatment could include anything from taking steps to protect your hearing such as using ear protection in noisy settings to using hearing aids. Many of the related problems like cognitive decline, social isolation, and depression can be avoided with early treatment.
3. Future changes will be easier to evaluate
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 adjusted as needed.
4. You can avoid further damage to your ears
Most hearing loss is caused by damage, the kind of damage that happens slowly and over time. Your hearing specialist is a significant resource and seeing us regularly will help you detect any hearing loss as early as possible. We can help you keep your hearing as healthy as possible by providing you with treatments, best practices, and information.
For example, we can help you determine ways to protect your ears from day-to-day damage or establish strategies created to help you keep sounds around you quieter.
What should my hearing test routine look like?
In general, it’s suggested that adults get a hearing exam sometime in their 20s or 30s, on the earlier side. It’s usually standard best practice to get a hearing exam every ten years thereafter unless you observe signs of hearing loss or we recommend something more frequently.
What should I expect my hearing test to be like? Generally, they’re completely non-invasive procedures. Typically, you simply listen for some tones in a special set of headphones.
Whether you require some hearing protection or a new set of hearing aids, we will be able to help you with the best hearing care. And we can help you figure out what your hearing exam schedule should be.
