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 hasn’t had a hearing test in a long time.

There are many reasons why it’s essential to have hearing assessments, finding initial symptoms of hearing loss is perhaps the most essential one. Knowing how frequently she should get a hearing test will help Sofia keep her ears (and hearing) as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

How Many Times Per Year Should my Hearing be Checked?

If the last time Sofia had a hearing test was ten years ago, we could be concerned. Or we may think it’s perfectly normal. Our reaction, and the reaction of her hearing specialist, most likely will vary depending on how old she is. This is because hearing specialists have different suggestions based on age.

• If you are older than fifty: But if you’re over fifty, the suggestion is, you have a hearing test yearly. As you age, the noise damage you’ve sustained over a lifetime can begin to speed up, meaning loss of hearing is more likely to start affecting your life. There are also several other variables that can affect your hearing.
• At least every three years, it’s suggested that you take a hearing exam. Obviously, if you think you should get your ears examined more frequently, there is no harm. But once every three years is the bare minimum. If you are exposed to loud noise repeatedly or work in a field where noise is common, you should decide to get screened more often. It’s straight forward and painless and there’s truly no reason not to do it.

As far as your hearing is concerned, more often is absolutely better. The sooner you recognize any problems, the more quickly you’ll be capable of addressing whatever loss of hearing that may have developed since your last hearing exam.

Signs You Should Get Your Hearing Checked

Obviously, your annual (or semi-annual) hearing exam isn’t the only good occasion to make an appointment with a hearing professional. In some cases, you begin to notice some symptoms of hearing loss. And in those instances, it’s usually a good plan to immediately get in touch with a hearing specialist and schedule a hearing test.

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

• It’s typical for hearing loss in the high pitched register to fail first and since consonants are in a higher pitched register than vowels, they generally go first.
• Your hearing is dull like there is water in your ears.
• Listening to your favorite music at extremely high volumes.
• When you’re in a loud environment, you have trouble hearing conversations.
• Phone conversations are always difficult to understand
• When you’re talking to people, you constantly have to keep asking people to repeat themselves.

When these warning signs start to accumulate, it’s a good sign that the ideal time to have a hearing exam is right now. The more frequently you have your hearing screened, the sooner you’ll know what’s happening with your ears.

Hearing Exams, What Are The Benefits?

There are plenty of reasons why Sofia might be late in having her hearing test. Perhaps she hasn’t thought about it. Maybe thinking about it is something she’s simply avoiding. But getting your hearing tested on the recommended schedule has concrete benefits.

And it will be easier to identify hearing deviations in the future if you get your hearing examined by forming a baseline reading even if it seems like everything is normal. You can safeguard your hearing better if you identify it before it becomes problematic.

That’s why Sophia has to go to her scheduled hearing appointments before any permanent damage happens. Early diagnosis by a hearing test can help your hearing stay healthy for a long time. Understanding the impact of hearing loss on your overall health, that’s essential.