ENT Specialists of Alaska

ENT Specialists of Alaska

4 Reasons to Have Your Hearing Tested Regularly

An audiologists Otoscope placed on an Audiogram following a hearing test

Why is having routine hearing assessments significant? Well, the reality is that hearing loss can have considerable and long-term impacts on your general health. Your quality of life will be improved, your health will be improved, and you will get proper treatment faster if you get tested regularly.

Who should get a hearing test?

Your health and well-being can be seriously affected by untreated hearing loss. Social isolation, for instance, can be a result of neglected hearing loss. Talking with family and friends can become more difficult, and people who suffer from hearing loss may be less likely to reach out to other people, even during routine activities like shopping or going to work. This sort of social isolation can be harmful to your mental health and, possibly somewhat surprisingly, your physical well-being.

Hearing loss can cause other issues as well. Numerous chronic conditions, including depression and cognitive decline, have been associated with untreated hearing loss. Comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been linked to hearing loss.

This means that it’s generally a good plan for just about anybody to schedule a routine hearing test.

Four reasons to check your hearing

Getting your hearing tested can be helpful to your overall health for four distinct reasons.

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 plan for several reasons. The most important is that a hearing test will give us a precise picture of your present hearing health. If your hearing changes in the future, this will make it simpler to identify. This is particularly true because hearing loss tends to develop slowly, the first symptoms aren’t always obvious.

Before you observe any symptoms, a hearing exam will help identify hearing loss in its early stages.

2. Early diagnosis and treatment is important

Hearing loss normally progresses slowly 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 time.

Early treatment might include anything from taking steps to protect your hearing such as using ear protection in loud spaces to using hearing aids. Many of the related issues like dementia, social isolation, and depression can be avoided with early treatment.

3. It’s easier to assess future changes

Your hearing loss will keep progressing even after you get diagnosed. Regular hearing exams can enable early detection and your treatment plan can be adjusted as needed.

4. You can prevent additional damage to your ears

The majority of hearing loss is caused by damage, the kind of damage that happens gradually and over time. Seeing us regularly to get your hearing checked helps you identify that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a substantial resource: your hearing specialist. We can give you information, treatments, and best practices that can help keep your ears as healthy as possible.

We can help you figure out ways to keep sounds around you quieter and also help you safeguard your ears from day-to-day damage.

What should my hearing test routine look like?

On the earlier side, adults should put off no longer than their early twenties to begin routine hearing exams. It’s usually ordinary best practice to get a hearing exam every ten years thereafter unless you detect signs of hearing loss or we suggest something more often.

But maybe you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing test? Hearing exams are generally totally non-invasive. Typically, you simply listen for some tones in a special pair of headphones.

Whether you need some hearing protection or a new pair of hearing aids, we will be able to help you with the best hearing care. And we can help you determine what your hearing exam schedule should be.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

Questions? Talk To Us.