Do I Need an Annual Hearing Test?

If you want to measure any potential hearing loss or to get a thorough view of your overall hearing health, then a hearing test from your audiologist is going to be the most effective place to look for help. However, many audiologists would recommend that hearing tests shouldn’t be relegated to only when you think you might be experiencing signs of hearing loss.

Routine wellness checks are an important part of staying healthy and this applies to your auditory health, as well. Audiologists will recommend what’s known as baseline hearing testing to ensure that they have a good idea of your hearing health and can help better diagnose any changes in it, even minute ones. But how often should you get your hearing checked?

Hearing Loss Doesn’t Discriminate

Hearing loss is a very common condition, thought to affect roughly one in five adults at some point in their life. However, out of those one in five, only one in five people that could benefit from using a hearing aid uses one. This means that there are plenty of people with undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss who could be experiencing detriments to their quality of life as a result.

Out of these individuals, the majority are likely to be 65 or older. One in three people between the ages of 65-74 experience hearing loss. When the age goes up to over 75, the rate increases to 50%. As such, when you get over 65, it becomes much more imperative to get a hearing test once a year, as the chances of discovering hearing loss rise exponentially.

However, that doesn’t mean that younger people don’t also have the potential to develop hearing loss. Unsafe levels of noise exposure are becoming commonplace due to concerts, widespread use of headphones, and the like. For that reason, it makes sense for younger people to get their hearing tested regularly, as well.

Untreated Hearing Loss Impacts Your Wellbeing

Living with hearing loss does can be easily remedied with the help of an audiologist. However, living with undiagnosed hearing loss can happen easily if you don’t have a regular appointment for a hearing test. Hearing loss can progress slowly, meaning it’s not always easy to notice it when you are experiencing it. An audiologist might be able to point it out long before you can.

That said, untreated hearing loss can have a ride range of ripple effects on your quality of life. It has been known to affect mental health, making issues like depression and anxiety more common, as people can have difficulty maintaining a social life as well as understanding communication. This can also impact your performance at work. Untreated hearing loss has even been linked to an inability to miss early warning symptoms of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, and could even contribute to the development of dementia.

With all of this in mind, it’s a good idea to arrange for a routine hearing test simply to avoid the possibility of living with untreated hearing loss and the many issues that it causes to rise.

Consider Your Risk Factors for Hearing Loss

Some people are more likely to experience hearing loss than others. Aging might be the most common risk factor, but it is far from the only one. As mentioned, if you are exposed to loud noises on a regular basis, you have a greater probability of damaging the cells of the inner ear, a major cause of hearing loss.

There is a hereditary factor to hearing loss, as well. If your parents or someone else in your family experiences hearing loss, then you are more likely to, meaning you should also get your hearing tested for any changes to your hearing health on a more regular basis.

Other elements of your health can play a role in your chances of developing hearing loss, as well. Some medications, such as antibiotics, Viagra, chemotherapy medication and blood pressure medication can affect the ear, leading to changes in the hearing. This goes for certain illnesses, including high fevers, any that change your blood pressure, and those that can directly affect the ear, such as meningitis.

Consider Adding a Hearing Test to Your Annual Physical

If you get a physical every year (as you probably should), then it can be a good idea to add a hearing test to your treatment routine, as well. Get in touch and learn more about the hearing testing provided at Davis Audiology by calling (864) 810-6238.