Everyone should go to the doctor fairly regularly as part of their healthy routine. As well as going for regular checkups, you ideally want to go to the doctor if you experience any symptoms that bother you or don’t have a simple explanation.
The same thing applies when you go to see a specialist. In this post, we’ll be exploring the best time to get your hearing checked.
Why It Matters
Your hearing is one of those things that is far too easy to take for granted. The importance of early detection can’t be overstated.
Like any health condition, when you catch hearing loss early, there’s so much more you can do to protect your hearing and learn how to cope with it. True, hearing loss can be temporary, especially when you have an ear infection or a build-up of earwax. A doctor can help in this case by prescribing antibiotics if needed or clearing your ears of wax.
However, even temporary hearing loss can become permanent if your ears are damaged. If the mechanisms in your ear, such as the auditory nerve or the fine hairs that pick up sound, are damaged or destroyed, there’s no way to reverse the hearing loss.
So, if you get a hearing test as soon as it becomes helpful, you will benefit.
Signs of Hearing Loss
It’s a good idea to get your hearing checked at the first noticeable signs of hearing loss. While you might think hearing loss only happens to older people, it can occur with people of any age.
While temporary hearing loss caused by an infection, injured ear, or swimmer’s ear might come on suddenly, most permanent hearing loss is caused by wear and tear over time. This means that your hearing will gradually get worse.
Unfortunately, you might not notice gradual hearing loss until it’s quite profound. But other people might notice it for you. In this case, listen when your friends and family complain about having to raise their voices or repeat themselves.
You may also have to turn the television up or use subtitles when you managed before. Or conversations might be harder to keep up with, especially when you’re in a crowd.
All these are potential signs of hearing loss and therefore signs that you should consider getting a hearing test.
Risk Factors
You should also get a hearing test if you have any risk factors for hearing loss, ideally on a fairly regular basis. This means that you’re far more likely to catch hearing loss early and before it impacts your life.
The risk factors include old age, as has been mentioned, as well as a job where you work in a loud environment. Construction workers and musicians are prone to hearing loss due to constant exposure to loud noise. This is why hearing protection is so important.
You might also be more likely to lose your hearing if you have a family history of it. In this case, inform your audiologist