How Often Should You go for a Hearing Test?

One thing we do not tend to concern ourselves with until it is too late is our hearing. We don’t often book an appointment with a hearing instrument specialist until we begin to feel like we are experiencing some form of hearing loss. However, it is much better to have a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. If you have regular hearing tests, any problems can be picked up on early, ensuring that you get the help and assistance that you need. With that being said, we are going to help to shed further light on how regularly you need to have a hearing test. 

In the United States, most people receive regular hearing screenings from the day they are born. These routine hearing tests are administered through school systems, as well as through the doctor’s office and hospital. They are designed to detect hearing loss from an early age. Nevertheless, once we get to adulthood, these screenings are not as essential and our hearing health becomes our own responsibility. It is up to you to make sure you get your hearing tested. But, how often do you need to do so?

Getting your hearing tested periodically

There are two ways you can approach getting your hearing tested. Firstly, getting your hearing tested on a periodic basis means that you get your hearing tested once every specified time period. Most of the time, this will be a year. Getting your hearing screened regularly is a good way to make sure that any small problems are picked up on quickly so that they do not turn into more severe issues.

Getting your hearing tested when you notice changes in your hearing

Aside from getting your hearing tested on a periodic basis, it is a good idea to get your hearing tested whenever you notice that there are changes in your hearing. If your hearing trouble turns out to be unrelated to hearing loss, it could be something related to a hearing issue, an ear infection, or excess earwax buildup and these are all issues that need to be treated in any case. It is vital to act quickly, rather than putting a hearing test off, as your health and safety is at stake here.

If your hearing test indicates that you are experiencing hearing loss, a full test should be conducted to determine the cause, degree and type of hearing loss. So, how will you know if your hearing has changed? After all, hearing loss may not be detectable for years, as it can tend to happen on a gradual basis later in life. This is where it is critical to take cures from people around you and how you respond to the environment you are in.

You should schedule a hearing screening if you notice any of the following:

• A ringing sensation in your ears
• Needing to turn up the volume on your television or other sound devices
• Frequently asking other people to repeat themselves or speak up
• Finding it difficult to hear conversations, especially if there is background noise

Should you have a healthy hearing record, it may not be a requirement for you to have a hearing screening every year. Nevertheless, it is definitely a wise preventative measure to take, especially with the fact that hearing loss related to aging tends to show up later in a person’s life. If you are reading this and you cannot remember the last time that you had a hearing test, now is certainly the time to go ahead and book one! We know that it can often feel a little bit scary and you would rather bury your head in the sand. However, if you don’t get the help you need quickly, you could end up making a very minor condition a lot worse, so it’s really not worth the risk. 

Contact Sound Choice Hearing for more information

If you would like to find out more about your hearing condition and speak with an experienced audiologist concerning this, all you need to do is get in touch with Sound Choice Hearing today. Contact us today at (505) 565-7960. You will be able to book a hearing test in order to get to the bottom of the current condition of your hearing and whether or not you could do with any assistance in order to hear to your optimal level.