According to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, almost 50% of people over the age of 60 have a hearing loss, with numbers expected to almost double by 2040.
With these kinds of numbers, you would expect many older people to get hearing assessments, but sadly only about one-third of them do.
So many people resist coming to us for a hearing assessment because they’re afraid. There are a few reasons why that fear might be present.
- They’re afraid that acknowledging a hearing loss might mean that they’re also saying that they’re old.
- They believe they have a hearing loss but fear the cost of treating it will be too difficult to manage.
- They hate the thought of wearing a hearing aid, but they might be thinking of the hearing aids from previous decades and not be aware of the huge technical advances and style designs of modern hearing aids.
What Are the Benefits of Regular Hearing Assessments?
There are so many benefits to having regular hearing assessments. The best reason for having one, even if you suspect no hearing loss, is because it gives you a baseline for future hearing assessments.
Being able to look at what your hearing was like when you thought it was good can show you, over the years, how your hearing loss might be declining.
Another benefit to having a hearing assessment with an audiologist is that I don’t just test your hearing; I also do a physical exam of your ear and ear canal to see if there might be some physical reason for your hearing loss.
I can quickly see what the cause might be and refer you to the right specialist to be treated for that, possibly even saving you from a worsening condition you were not aware of.
Some of the side effects of a hearing loss are balance issues, tinnitus, and cognitive decline, so checking in each year with an audiologist can help with a number of issues in one visit.
When Should You Book Your Next Hearing Assessment?
I believe that people should have a yearly hearing assessment. Some people say that every two years is enough, which can work for people in their 20s and 30s, but a hearing loss generally tends to start showing up in a person’s 40s and 50s.
If you are age 40 or above, yearly is best.
Who Is Encouraged to Book a Hearing Assessment?
Someone would need to book a hearing assessment if they are of the general age when hearing loss begins (45) or if they have noticed a worsening level of hearing loss.
What usually happens, though, is that because a hearing loss is so gradual, it’s friends and family who notice it first and point it out.
If your loved ones have mentioned that you might have some type of hearing loss, please book a hearing assessment at South Sound Audiology so we can see what’s going on and treat it early.
Comprehensive Hearing Assessment vs. Online Hearing Test
An online hearing test is very basic. All it does is let you know if you’re hearing volume properly.
A comprehensive hearing test done by an audiologist measures for all sorts of additional things such as medical causes, the exact pitch, tone, and volume that you can hear, and whether your hearing loss might simply be caused by a buildup of earwax or requires a medical referral.
I have found that the free hearing screenings offered are pretty similar to the online hearing tests in that they are extremely basic and they won’t tell you much in the way of your type of hearing loss.
If you’re serious about treating your hearing loss properly, you’ll need a professional evaluation.
How to Schedule a Hearing Assessment
If you would like to book a hearing assessment for yourself or a loved one, it’s simply a matter of filling out the booking form on this page. We will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know some days and times that might work for you.
If you have any questions at all about how to book a hearing assessment, why you might need one, or what it entails, we are on the other end of the phone and happy to answer any questions you have. Call (360) 464-9780 to reach us and we’ll help in whatever way we can.
