Why Should You Get Your Hearing Tested?

06/17/2021 | Hearing loss, Patient Resources

There are several reasons why you should have your hearing tested regularly, but the chief reason is that it can limit any long-term damage of not having a hearing loss treated.

Regular hearing assessments should be as important as your yearly checkups at the dentist, doctor, and eye doctor.

At Audiology & Hearing Aid Associates, we make it a point to raise local awareness for healthy hearing, and we encourage our community to regularly test their hearing because it’s so important, which is why we’re talking about it again here.

Comprehensive hearing tests are diagnostic audiometric examinations of your ears and hearing. They can diagnose a temporary or permanent hearing loss and also determine the cause of it.

Some hearing losses are temporary in that they can be fixed quickly, such as with earwax removal or antibiotics for ear inflammation, but these hearing losses won’t be fixed if they are not caught by a regular hearing assessment and treated properly.

What Can Cause Hearing Loss?

So many things can damage your hearing.

  • One of the newer concerns is young people turning up the volume too high on their headphones and earphones.
  • Other circumstances that can damage your hearing at any age are loud work environments such as a factory setting, gunfire while hunting, being near explosives in a military career, or working media events.
  • We’ve also seen head trauma, illnesses, ear infections, burst eardrums, chronic health conditions, and ototoxic medications (used to treat serious infections, cancer, and heart disease) damage people’s hearing.

60% of children will develop what could have been a preventable hearing loss. As audiologists, we know that the prevention of hearing loss is our first line of defense against these tragic figures from continuing.

How Important Are Regular Hearing Assessments?

The more aware you are of your current state of hearing health, the more you can prevent long-term issues with the correct prevention and treatment.

Even if you find your hearing is normal after your hearing assessment, having a baseline set of results is a beneficial tool to measure any future hearing loss.

Aging is the number one reason for hearing loss, so checking your hearing every two years to see if it needs help makes sense, and the sooner treatment starts, the less money you’ll have to spend trying to recover it down the road.

Treating a hearing loss early also makes it easier to live with.

What Are The Signs Of A Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss happens so gradually that it can be easy to miss it at the start. In fact, it is usually those closest to you who notice it first. But after a while, the results of not treating it affect your life in numerous ways.

  • You might find yourself asking people to repeat themselves or speak more clearly. You might think people are mumbling or speaking more quietly than they should.
  • You might want the TV volume turned up louder, and the rest of the family is upset about it. Phone calls can become difficult, especially if there’s background noise on the call.
  • Social events can be hard to hear because of the background noise and the inability to see everyone’s facial expressions and body language.

What’s The Short And Long-Term Impact Of A Hearing Loss?

If you neglect your hearing health for too long, you might eventually start to avoid going out, calling people or having people over because your hearing loss has become embarrassing. This can severely impact your overall physical health, especially if you slip into depression.

Not treating a hearing loss can also cause cognitive decline, even leading to dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Not being able to understand others can also affect your job performance.

A hearing loss can threaten your communication in relationships, especially if you don’t seek help.

Prevent all of this today by taking the first step and booking a hearing test.

How Do You Book A Hearing Assessment?

If you are in the La Grande, OR area and you’d like to be responsible for your hearing health, or if you have any concerns about your hearing, your first step is to schedule a comprehensive hearing assessment. It’s quick and non-invasive, and the results are available immediately.

We’ll discuss your results with you to let you know either how good your hearing is or how it needs assistance. If a medical issue causes your hearing problem, we will refer you to the right professional to take care of it.

If your hearing can be optimized through a customized hearing treatment plan, we will discuss those options with you and explain them.

Your hearing healthcare is our number one priority. Our expert team is ready to help.

Call us at (541) 612-7555 with any hearing needs or concerns about your own hearing or that of a family member. We would love to support your hearing journey.

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Erika Shakespeare CCC-A

Erika Shakespeare, CCC-A, specializes in pediatric and adult diagnostics and amplification. Working with adults to help manage tinnitus and hearing loss since 2002, she is an expert in both of these areas. Additionally, she is a pediatric audiology mentor and educator for pediatric audiologists across the country and is one of the most respected experts on pediatric audiology.

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