Do I Need an Annual Hearing Test?

Your health is vital to making sure you can live a fulfilling life, which is why you need to spend time looking after it. As you get older, that becomes more and more crucial. One area that’s commonly overlooked, however, is your hearing.

Many people don’t pay attention to this until they start experiencing hearing loss. After a certain age, it’s something you’ll need to get checked regularly, even if you aren’t experiencing this. An annual hearing test from an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor is recommended for multiple reasons.

By doing this, you get a baseline for how your hearing is while being able to determine if something’s wrong in time. Regular hearing tests let you find any problems early, which could let you prevent them from getting worse.

Irreversible damage could be on the horizon if you don’t do this. By looking for potential indicators of hearing damage or loss, you can prevent this from happening. There are more than a few other reasons why it’s vital you see an ENT doctor for an annual hearing test.

It Doesn’t Just Affect Older Generations

When most people think of hearing loss, they believe it’s something that only older generations experience. That’s far from the case, as it can affect people of any age. Damage to the ears can be a leading cause of this in younger generations, but it’s not uncommon for the reduction in hearing to develop naturally.

Over 48 million Americans experience hearing loss, with one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 being affected by the condition in some way. Over half of people over 75 experience it. Despite this, only one in five people who experience it actually use a hearing aid.

While these statistics make it seem as though only older people will be affected by this, that’s only the case for more ‘natural’ hearing loss. Quite a few issues can cause hearing loss in younger people, such as loud noises, diseases and even injuries. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.1-billion people between 12-35 are at risk of developing hearing loss.

That makes it vital you get an annual hearing test from a qualified ENT doctor. It prevents any issues from getting worse.

Effects of Untreated Hearing Loss

By not getting a hearing test, you risk developing untreated hearing loss, which gets worse in time. While this mightn’t be too noticeable at the beginning, it’ll become more and more prominent. That leads to a large impact on your life, ranging from not being able to hear your phone ringing to having difficulty communicating.

It can even take a while for the signs of hearing loss to manifest, even if your ears have been damaged. Should your hearing loss not be treated, it can lead to:

• Harmful implications on your social life
• Difficulty understanding what people are saying to you
• Mental health issues
• Inability to enjoy music and similar sounds
• Missing the early warning signs for more severe diseases, such as diabetes
• Dementia

While hearing loss can start off minor, it becomes increasingly larger in time. The impact it’ll have on your life will become more and more apparent. It’ll have an effect on your physical health, as well as your emotional and social health. Your overall quality of life will be impacted.

An annual hearing test lets you get hearing loss diagnosed early, which then lets you get it treated. It works as a preventative measure to make sure your quality of life isn’t impacted. Think of it as a way to keep yourself happy and healthy long-term.

By seeing an ENT doctor regularly, you reduce the risk of your hearing loss getting worse and preventing other issues from cropping up.

Get Tested Now

The more regularly you test your hearing, the better able you are to look after it and prevent any hearing loss or hearing damage. With an annual hearing test from a qualified ENT doctor, you can catch any problems as they arise and make sure they don’t get any worse.

The effects of untreated hearing loss can be severe and will have a significant impact on your quality of life. Taking a proactive approach to protecting your hearing is vital.

At ENT Physicians Inc., we’re dedicated to looking after your hearing. Our team of qualified ENT specialists have a wealth of experience diagnosing and treating countless conditions. To schedule a hearing test, give us a call at (419) 318-4987. Your hearing will thank you for it.