Article of the Month

Our ability to hear is an often underappreciated aspect of our health, playing a crucial role in communication, safety, and overall quality of life. Yet, many people neglect their hearing health, often until a problem becomes significant. Just as we routinely visit dentists for oral health and optometrists for vision, regular hearing check-ups with an audiologist are essential.

Here, we’ll discuss some of the reasons why routine hearing tests are important. We’ll also let you know how often hearing check-ups are recommended based on various age groups. Then, we’ll explain why audiologists make excellent hearing health partners.

4 Key Reasons Why Regular Hearing Check-ups Are Essential for Your Hearing Health

1. Early Detection of Hearing Loss

While some cases of hearing loss come on suddenly, many cases occur gradually over time. Such gradual hearing changes make it difficult to understand the full extent of your hearing loss until it’s progressed significantly. 

With hearing check-ups at regular intervals, however, it’s much easier to detect the warning signs of hearing loss before it’s too late. Early detection can make hearing loss treatment more effective and improve your chances for a favorable outcome.

2. Prevention of Additional Hearing Damage

Did you know that some cases of hearing loss are actually preventable? For example, repeated exposure to loud noise without appropriate hearing protection can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. Other types of hearing loss may be caused by treatable conditions such as an ear infection or something as simple as an earwax buildup. Routine hearing check-ups with an audiologist can often help prevent further hearing damage in situations like these.

3. Enhanced Communication

Hearing loss can have a significant impact on relationships and make social interactions very challenging. With regular hearing check-ups, however, any changes in hearing can be detected and treated early on, enhancing your ability to communicate with others.

4. Improved Maintenance of Cognitive Health

Recent research has indicated a possible connection between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. People with hearing loss have also been shown to have an increased risk of dementia.  Hearing is a complex process involving the brain, and when the brain has to work harder to understand sounds, it can affect cognitive function. Regular hearing check-ups and appropriate treatment can help keep your brain healthy by reducing the cognitive load associated with hearing loss.

How Often Are Hearing Check-ups Recommended?

How Does Smoking Damage My Hearing?

The dangers of smoking cannot be overstated. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that cigarette smoking causes about one out of every five deaths in the United States each year. Along with cancers and other health risks, smoking has also been determined to cause hearing loss.

The amount of cigarettes smoked per day appears to be directly correlated to the severity of damage done to the ear. Nicotine as well as some of the other toxic substances found in cigarettes damages both the middle ear mechanisms as well as the inner ear. Nicotine has also been shown to impair the brain’s ability to hear and interpret sounds.