Why is getting regular hearing assessments important? Well, the reality is that hearing loss can have substantial and long-term impacts on your general wellness. Your quality of life will be improved, your health will be enhanced, and you will get proper treatment faster if you get screened regularly.
Getting a hearing test – who should do it?
A loss in hearing capability can create effects that can significantly hinder your health and wellness. For instance, hearing loss can lead to intense social isolation. Even while carrying out tasks like going to the store, people with hearing loss will often avoid reaching out to family and friends because they have a difficult time understanding conversations. It might not be shocking that this type of social isolation can lead to mental health problems, but it may come as a surprise to find out that it can be harmful to your physical health too.
Hearing loss can trigger other problems as well. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and cognitive decline, have been associated with untreated hearing loss. Comorbidities, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been linked to hearing loss.
So scheduling a routine hearing exam will be a good plan for pretty much everyone.
You should get your hearing checked for these four reasons
Getting your hearing examined can be helpful to your general health for four specific reasons.
1. You can determine the baseline for your healthy hearing
Why would you want to get your hearing checked if it seems healthy? Well, getting a hearing test 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 far easier to identify any changes in the future. Early symptoms of hearing loss often go undetected because hearing loss usually develops slowly over time.
Getting a baseline hearing test will help detect problems well before you observe them.
2. Diagnose and treat issues earlier
Hearing loss typically advances slowly over time. Consequently, detecting hearing loss early often means a better prognosis. If you treat the condition as early as you can, you will have more positive results.
Early treatment could include anything from taking measures to protect your hearing such as using ear protection in noisy spaces to the use of hearing aids. Many of the associated problems like dementia, social isolation, and depression can be avoided with early treatment.
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. Regular hearing exams can enable early detection and your treatment plan can be adjusted as needed.
4. Further damage can be avoided
Most hearing loss is caused by damage, the type of damage that occurs slowly and over time. Seeing us regularly to get your hearing checked helps you detect that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a considerable resource: your hearing specialist. We can give you information, treatments, and best practices that can help keep your ears as healthy as possible.
For example, we can help you determine ways to protect your ears from day-to-day damage or develop strategies created to help you keep sounds around you quieter.
What should my hearing exam routine look like?
On the earlier side, adults should wait no longer than their early twenties to begin routine hearing exams. 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.
But maybe you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing exam? Generally, they’re completely non-invasive procedures. Frequently, all you do is wear special headphones and listen for a particular sound.
We will be able to help you get the care 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 exam schedule should be.