How Often Should You go for a Hearing Test?

As soon as you are born, there are some regular and routine hearing tests that you will have gone through. These early tests are designed to detect any hearing loss that you may be experiencing at an early age. But often by the time you’ve reached school age, if there were no concerns, those routine tests stop; our hearing and that of those around us, like our children, is our own responsibility. With that in mind, how long has it been since your last hearing test? Have you ever had one as an adult? Do you even know how often adults should be getting their hearing checked out? Here are some things to think about, and the recommendations to think about.

Experience changes in hearing

It should go without saying that if you do experience some changes in your hearing, then that would be one of the times that you should book a hearing test and see a hearing instrument specialist. Hearing loss can happen both gradually, as well as later on in life, and in some people, it may not be detectable for quite a long time. Therefore it’s important to be aware of your own hearing, and how you respond to the environment around you. Some things that demonstrate that you are experiencing changing in your hearing and should book a hearing test are things like:

• Finding it hard to hear regular conversations, even without background noise.
• Having to regularly ask other people to speak louder, or for them to keep repeat themselves.

• You find that you’re turning up the volume on the TV or radio, much louder than you’ve ever needed before.
• Feeling a different sensation in your ears, or a ringing in your ears that you haven’t experienced before.

Of course, experiencing some changes in your hearing doesn’t always mean that you will have permanent hearing loss. The hearing loss could be temporary, and due to something like excess earwax buildup or an ear infection, alongside other hearing-related issues. Regardless, having an appointment for a test can help you to get the help and advice that you need. So, if you do experience changes, in your hearing, booking a hearing test is going to be a really valuable thing.

Yearly check-ups

Most of us should be getting a physical exam each year with our doctor, or at least, we ought to be. So around the same time, it can be a good reminder to book in to have a hearing test with a hearing instrument specialist. Of course, if you aren’t having yearly physical exams, then it should be something to consider, as it can help your overall health and act as a reminder to check on other things, like hearing and sight. But this is so important, because hearing loss is something that happens over time. So, having a baseline result from a hearing test to compare back to, can be most helpful in diagnosing your hearing loss, and monitoring the severity of it.

For some people, they will find that a yearly hearing check, from the age of eighteen up to the age of fifty, isn’t necessary. For some, it is recommended to have checks every three years. But of course, during that time if there are any changes, then having an earlier hearing test is a must. 

Hearing loss diagnosis

If you are someone who has experienced hearing loss, and been diagnosed with that, then at least yearly is what you will need for hearing tests, though your hearing specialist can advise on that, specific to you. 

If you do have a record of having healthy hearing, and there are no obvious changes in your hearing loss, then a hearing test might not be necessary every year. However, it is definitely a preventative measure that you should take, which is extra important as you get older, as that is when hearing loss could be experienced. If you can’t remember the last time you had your hearing screened, now is a good time to do it.

If you’d like to learn more about hearing tests or think that you should be due for one, then get in touch with us today to speak to a hearing instrument specialist. It can be common for people to live with hearing loss for several years before they start to do anything about it. This won’t be good for you, those around you and your quality of life. So, get in touch so that you can learn more about Hearing Well Matters by calling us today at (647) 247-2704.