You don’t need to feel like your by yourself if you haven’t had a hearing test since you were a kid. Sadly, we have a habit of treating hearing loss reactively rather than proactively, and a regular adult checkup typically doesn’t include a hearing test. The majority of people neglect hearing loss, even when they are cognizant of it, for as many as seven years which can seriously affect your health. In fact, untreated hearing loss has been shown to increase your healthcare costs in the long run.
The good news, hearing exams are simple, pain-free, and provide a wealth of facts for our professionals to help you, both for diagnosing hearing concerns and assessing whether interventions such as hearing aids are working. When you were a child, you may recall the audiometry test from school, but a full hearing test will give you a better understanding of your hearing without a sticker or a lollipop.
It’s important that you routinely have your hearing checked even though you may not normally give your hearing as much consideration as your teeth or eyes. You may not recognize a problem with your hearing for some time. Loss of hearing normally happens gradually, and the earlier you recognize a problem with your hearing, the sooner you might be able to deal with it.
How do You Know When to Get Tested?
Normally the hospital will screen infants for hearing loss before they send them home. Teenagers should be screened during routine checkups with their doctors and children should have formal hearing exams at the ages of 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 years old according to The American Academy of Pediatrics.
It’s recommended that if you are between the ages of 18 and 49, you get your hearing checked every five years and then, as you age, more frequently. You should get tested every three years if you are 46 to 60 years old and then every two years after you turn 60. But don’t allow that to stop you. Your specific circumstances will dictate when you need to get a test. You should get your hearing tested immediately if you notice it isn’t as good as it used to be. A number of health problems are associated with neglected hearing loss, like increased risk of falling, cognitive decline, and depression. It can also impact your relationships and your ability to work effectively.
And you need to get a hearing test, in some situations, as soon as you can if you have hearing loss that is getting worse quickly. The following scenarios suggest that you should get a hearing test right away:
- You are experiencing a constant ringing in your ears
- Conversations are difficult to hear when you are in a crowded area especially
- Pinpointing where sounds are coming from is difficult
- There is earwax buildup or you had an ear infection
- You find yourself having to constantly ask people to repeat themselves
- You are experiencing vertigo
Whether you are at risk of hearing loss is another factor. You should get your hearing checked more frequently, for example, if you are exposed to loud noise or if loss of hearing runs in your family.
There are also over 200 ototoxic medicines. These medications can be extremely harmful for your hearing and they range from some antibiotics to aspirin. Check with your doctor to make sure any medicines you are taking aren’t impacting your hearing. Think about having your hearing tested more regularly in order to address any hearing loss immediately if you are taking any ototoxic medications.
Also, think about your habits and whether they may contribute to hearing loss. Constantly using your earbuds? There’s been a significant increase in younger people who have hearing loss, which many experts connect to the increased use of earbuds and other headsets. shows, loud concerts, and machinery can also do significant harm to your hearing. If you feel that it’s time for you to have your hearing tested, schedule an appointment today.