How often should you get your hearing tested?

As hearing professionals, we recommend that everyone get their hearing tested on an annual basis, but we also know that this isn’t a realistic expectation — especially for younger individuals. However, what we do strongly recommend is that all adults over the age of fifty get their hearing tested on an annual basis. 

 

This is around the time in a person’s life where the effects of aging on a person’s hearing can start to appear. It’s also where exposure to noise in the workplace can really begin to take its toll, and depending on the industry and the type of noise you’re exposed to on a daily basis, these effects will make themselves known at a much earlier age.

 

Your fifties are an age where you should start taking more focused preventative measures in protecting your long-term hearing health. As individuals who are still relatively young, this is the perfect time to start assessing your hearing health and taking action, whether that means including more preventative measures that will better protect your hearing, or even investing in technology that will support your hearing while also protecting your hearing for years to come.

 

Hearing loss, unlike some other health conditions that people experience, is typically gradual. Certain frequencies are lost before others, so the effects of hearing loss can be harder to detect. This is yet another reason why we recommend annual exams, because it allows us to monitor the progress of your loss and how we as a team can create a plan that best preserves your hearing health so you can stay engaged with the world around you.

Your teeth, your eyes, your ears!

Think about it this way: for most of your life, you’ve probably seen a dentist for cleaning and examining your teeth about every six months. You’ll maybe get X-rays, fluoride treatment, and if there are any areas of concern identified, you’ll be scheduled additional appointments for filling, crowns, and the like. It’s similar for eye exams. You’ll see your optometrist on an annual basis to test for far- or near-sightedness, test to see if your prescription is still valid if you’re an eyeglass wearer, and maybe experience a “puff test” to check for glaucoma or have your pupils dilated to have your retinas and optic nerves examined. 

 

So why isn’t having your hearing tested just as commonplace?

Hearing loss is vastly untreated, but we can change that — together! 

Over 14 percent of Americans report experiencing some level of hearing loss, but, on average, it takes people about seven years to take any action about it. Call it denial, call it the stigma of hearing technology, call it a fear of aging — we at Beltone Tristate call it an opportunity to create positive change in people’s lives. 

 

We believe that by making people aware of the importance of monitoring their hearing health that we will not only reduce the stigma associated with wearing hearing technology, but that we can also make people feel more empowered to take control of this aspect of their lives. 

 

By offering educational resources, thorough and accurate testing, and expert recommendations and fittings of the latest, most effective technology, people in our community have more opportunities than ever to experience the world of hearing in a way no previous generations could have imagined.  

 

Hearing technology — it’s more than hearing aids

One of the things that our patients love about today’s technology is that it’s not limited to hearing aids. Thanks to the advent of smartphones and the prevalence of Bluetooth technology, digital hearing aids contain a level of flexibility that enables the wearer to stream audio directly from TVs, tablets and computers, phones, and more directly to their devices. 

 

There are even accessories — like wireless streamers, microphones, and applications — that give wearers even greater ability to personalize their sound experiences. Long gone are the days when attending a get together with loved ones is a difficult or isolating experience. You can be right at the center of the action just as you want to be, but it all starts with that hearing test. 

 

Ready to take control of your hearing health? Contact Beltone TriState TODAY for your FREE hearing test!