According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. Sofia is one of them. She goes to her yearly doctor’s appointments, she visits a dentist every six months, and she gets the oil changed in her car every 3000 miles. But she can’t remember the last time she took a hearing exam or underwent any kind of accurate hearing evaluation.

There are lots of reasons why it’s essential to get hearing evaluations, the most notable of which is that it’s normally hard for you to notice the earliest signs of hearing loss if you don’t get one. Knowing how regularly she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as she can for as long as possible.

How Many Times Per Year Should my Hearing Get Tested?

We may be alarmed if Sophia hadn’t had a hearing test in a decade. Or we may think it’s perfectly normal. Depending on how old Sophia is, reactions might vary. That’s because hearing specialists have different guidelines based on age.

• It’s generally suggested that you undergo a hearing exam every three years or so. Obviously, if you think you should get your hearing examined more frequently, that’s also fine. But once every three years is the bare minimum. If you are subjected to loud noise regularly or work at a job where noise is typical, you should err on the side of getting screened more often. There’s no reason not to do it, it’s painless and easy.
• If you’re over fifty years old: The general recommendation is that anyone over the age of fifty should get hearing checks yearly. As you get older, the noise damage you’ve suffered over a lifetime can start to speed up, which means loss of hearing is more likely to begin affecting your life. Also, there are other health issues that can affect your hearing.

If you want to have hearing examinations or tests more often, there’s obviously no harm in that, at least in terms of your hearing. Since you last had a hearing exam, you might have new damage you should know about, so regular hearing exams may be practical.

You Should Get Your Hearing Checked if You Notice These Signs

There are definitely other times besides your annual hearing exam that you may want to make an appointment with your hearing specialist. Sometimes, you start to notice some symptoms of hearing loss. And in those circumstances, it’s typically a good plan to immediately contact a hearing specialist and schedule a hearing test.

Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:

• Your hearing is dull like there is water in your ears.
• Difficulties hearing conversations in loud environments.
• Having a difficult time making out consonants (generally speaking, consonants are spoken in a higher wavelength than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are generally the first to go as hearing loss takes hold)
• Having a very difficult time comprehending people when talking on the phone, mobile or otherwise
• Listening to your favorite music at extremely high volumes.
• Regularly asking people to slow down or repeat themselves during a conversation.

A strong indicator that right now is the best time to get a hearing test is when the warning signs begin to add up. You need to know what’s going on with your hearing and that means having a hearing test sooner rather than later.

What Are The Advantages of Hearing Testing?

Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for many reasons. Maybe she hasn’t thought about it. It could be that she’s just avoiding dealing with it. But there are concrete benefits to having your hearing tested per recommendations.

Even when your hearing is completely healthy, a hearing exam can help create a baseline reading, which makes deviations in the future simpler to detect. If you detect your hearing loss before it becomes noticeable, you can protect it better.

That’s why Sophia has to show up for regular hearing appointments before any permanent injury happens. By catching your hearing loss early, by having your hearing tested when you’re supposed to, you’ll be keeping your ears healthier longer. Thinking about the impact of hearing loss on your general health, that’s essential.