Why is it important to get your hearing examined regularly? That’s because your general health can be significantly impacted by hearing loss. Getting your hearing evaluated regularly can help you identify hearing loss early, get care sooner, and, improve your health, wellness, and quality of life.
Getting a hearing exam – who should do it?
Your health and well-being can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss. For instance, hearing loss can result in extreme social isolation. Talking with family and friends can become more difficult, and individuals who suffer from hearing loss may be less likely to reach out to others, even during routine activities like shopping or going to work. This type of social isolation can be detrimental to your mental health and, possibly somewhat surprisingly, your physical wellness.
Other health issues can come from neglected hearing loss also. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and cognitive decline, have been linked to neglected 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 check your hearing
There are four significant reasons why keeping an eye on your hearing can be beneficial to your general health.
1. Establishing a baseline for your hearing is significant
Why would you want to get your hearing tested if it seems healthy? Well, getting a hearing exam early is a good idea for several reasons. Your present level of hearing can be established by a hearing test and that’s probably the most important thing. If your hearing changes in the future, this will make it easier to detect. This is especially true because hearing loss tends to develop slowly, the first symptoms are not always obvious.
Before you observe any symptoms, a hearing test will help detect hearing loss in its early stages.
2. Diagnose and treat problems earlier
Hearing loss is normally a progressive condition, meaning it often gets worse over time. As a result, catching hearing loss early frequently means a better prognosis. This is because you’re capable of treating the condition at the earliest possible juncture.
Early treatment could include anything from taking steps to protect your hearing such as using ear protection in loud spaces to using hearing aids. Treatment can help you avoid many of the associated problems listed above, including cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation.
3. It’s easier to assess future changes
Even if you are diagnosed with hearing loss, that doesn’t mean your hearing won’t continue to get worse as you get older. Regular hearing exams can enable early detection and your treatment plan can be modified as needed.
4. You can prevent further damage to your ears
Hearing loss that develops gradually over time is usually caused by damage. Visiting us regularly to get your hearing assessed helps you detect that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a considerable resource: your hearing specialist. We can help you keep your ears as healthy as possible by providing you with treatments, best practices, and information.
We can help you figure out 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 tested?
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 notice any hearing problems, at least every ten years will be the advised interval for hearing assessments.
What should I expect my hearing exam to be like? Hearing exams are generally totally non-invasive. Frequently, all you do is put on special headphones and listen for a particular sound.
We will be able to help you get the care you need, whether you need a pair of hearing aids or you just need to protect your ears. And a hearing exam can help you determine when the best time to get your care may be.