How long has it been since you had your hearing tested? Regardless of your age, regular hearing tests are an important evaluation that should happen regularly. The frequency and importance of these hearing tests become even more essential as a person ages because the risk of hearing loss increases with age.
Hearing tests are an important step in detecting any hearing issues in the earliest stages. Here are some of the reasons why you should have hearing tests regularly:
When a hearing test is done, the doctor not only evaluates your ability to hear but also looks at other functions of your ears simultaneously. The main goal is to determine whether you are experiencing any hearing loss. Even if your hearing seems to be fine, mild amounts of hearing loss might impact your daily activities.
During the hearing test, several methods are used to see how your ears function. Additionally, the testing process can measure your range of hearing to determine if you are losing the ability to hear high or low pitches. If your doctor identifies any gaps in your range of hearing, then they can provide a diagnosis and offer solutions that can help to optimize your hearing as much as possible.
In addition to measuring and testing your hearing abilities, this appointment is also a great opportunity for the doctor to assess your overall ear health. A visual inspection can identify other issues that might need treatment, such as injuries, wax buildup, infections, blemishes, excess fluid, and more.
During the appointment, a physical examination will occur inside the ear canal and around the outer ear. The doctor can also test different parts of the ear to see how your acoustic reflexes and eardrums are responding.
Did you know that a hearing test can also help uncover other health problems that might be impacting your ears? For example, if hearing loss is detected, the doctor will diagnose and look for underlying causes. It’s possible that you might have another underlying condition contributing to the hearing loss, which means that you can see other medical treatments to fix this root issue.
Patients with high blood pressure and diabetes are examples of people who might experience hearing issues as a side-effect of other health problems. When a hearing test indicates an issue, it provides a clue for doctors to pay attention to other health issues that might need to be addressed.
The truth is that regular hearing tests can be an important step in protecting overall health. If hearing issues go undetected and untreated, then it can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and even dementia.
So, identifying hearing loss in the earliest stages and providing treatment can be an essential step to protecting your mental health. Good hearing is necessary for preventing social isolation, which has a domino effect on many other aspects of life.
Just because you have hearing loss doesn’t mean it will cause these mental health concerns. But the sooner you treat the hearing loss, the better likelihood of preventing these other issues from happening.
Depending on the cause of your hearing loss, it might also be possible to prevent the problem from progressing by treating it as soon as possible. For example, if an infection causes hearing loss, then treating the infection might be able to stop the underlying cause to prevent your hearing from getting worse.
Did you know that when hearing loss occurs, degeneration can happen in the auditory system and disrupt the signals sent to the brain? When a person starts wearing hearing aids, it provides stimulation to this degenerating auditory system, which in turn provides new sensory information for the brain.
Maintaining ongoing sensory signals through the hearing aids helps to keep these pathways open and minimize the ongoing risk of degeneration.
If you know that you have any level of hearing loss, then it’s essential to stay consistent with these hearing tests. You need to keep track of any changes that are occurring. This tracking will help you determine how quickly the hearing loss is progressing, and the doctor can also offer treatment recommendations as your hearing changes over the years.
It’s necessary to identify when your hearing is deteriorating any further. Often, hearing loss happens gradually, and patients don’t recognize that they are losing their hearing. Testing can detect hearing loss that is present, even if a patient hasn’t distinguished noticeable changes in their hearing.
Pay attention to your daily habits and activities because you might notice clues that hearing loss is occurring – indicating that you should schedule a hearing test. Instead of waiting for a yearly appointment, it’s best to book a hearing test as soon as possible if you notice any of these issues:
Even if you think your hearing is fine, scheduling routine hearing tests always a good idea.
At Fairfax Hearing Center, we offer a full range of services, including hearing tests, treatments, hearing aids, and more. Our goal is to help you maintain the healthiest ears possible and maximize your hearing capabilities at the same time.
If you need to schedule a hearing test or would like to book a checkup, contact us at your convenience. Fairfax Hearing Center is here to help with all of your hearing needs.
