Why is it important to get your hearing screened regularly? Well, the reality is that hearing loss can have significant and long-term effects on your overall wellness. Having your hearing screened regularly can help you detect hearing loss early, get care quicker, and, improve your health, wellness, and quality of life.
Who should get a hearing examination?
A loss in hearing capability can generate effects that can significantly impede your health and well-being. Social isolation, for instance, can be a result of untreated hearing loss. Even while doing tasks like going to the store, people with hearing loss will often avoid reaching out to friends and family because they have a hard time understanding conversations. It may not be shocking that this kind of social isolation can lead to mental health issues, but it may come as a surprise to learn that it can be harmful to your physical health too.
Other health problems can come from untreated hearing loss also. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and cognitive decline, have been associated with untreated hearing loss. Comorbidities, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been linked to hearing loss.
So scheduling a routine hearing test will be a good strategy for pretty much everyone.
Four reasons to monitor your hearing
There are four noteworthy reasons why checking your hearing can be beneficial to your overall health.
1. Establishing a baseline for your hearing is significant
It might seem silly 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 test and that’s probably the most important thing. This will make it far easier to detect any changes in the future. This is especially true because hearing loss tends to develop gradually, the first symptoms are not always noticeable.
Before you notice any symptoms, a hearing test will help detect hearing loss in its early stages.
2. Early diagnosis and treatment is important
Hearing loss usually advances slowly over time. You’ll have a better prognosis, as a result, if you catch your hearing loss early. If you treat the condition as early as you can, you will have more positive outcomes.
Early treatment could include anything from taking measures to safeguard your hearing such as using ear protection in noisy settings to using hearing aids. Treatment can help prevent many of the associated problems listed above, including cognitive decline, depression, and social isolation.
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. Routine hearing exams can help you identify changes as you go along, and make changes to your treatment plan as needed.
4. You can avoid additional damage to your ears
Most hearing loss is caused by damage, the type of damage that occurs slowly and over time. Your hearing specialist is a significant resource and visiting us regularly will help you identify 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 instance, we can help you figure out ways to protect your ears from day-to-day damage or develop strategies created to help you keep sounds around you quieter.
How often should I get my hearing assessed?
Generally speaking, it’s recommended that adults get a hearing exam sometime in their 20s or 30s, on the earlier side. 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 tests.
But perhaps you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing exam? Hearing exams are usually totally non-invasive. Often, all you do is put on special headphones and listen for a specific sound.
We will be able to help you get the treatment you require, whether you need a set of hearing aids or you just need to safeguard your ears. And a hearing test can help you determine when the best time to get your care may be.