What are invisible-in-canal (IIC) hearing aids?
If you’ve been told by your audiologist that you may need a hearing aid,
By: admin | January 26, 2025
Just like you schedule regular check-ups for your eyes or teeth, keeping track of your hearing health is an important part of taking care of yourself. Our hearing doesn’t stay the same throughout our lives – it can change gradually over time, sometimes so slowly that we might not even notice the differences in our day-to-day lives.
Many people think about getting their hearing tested only when they start having obvious problems – turning up the TV volume higher than before or struggling to follow conversations in busy places. But waiting until you notice these changes means you might have already missed opportunities to address early hearing concerns.
Routine hearing tests can help you stay ahead of these changes and maintain your connections with the people and activities in your life. When you can hear clearly, you’re better able to participate in conversations, enjoy social gatherings and stay engaged in work meetings. It’s not just about hearing – it’s about staying connected to the world around you.
Understanding how often you should have your hearing tested puts you in control of your hearing health. Whether you’ve had hearing tests before or you’re thinking about your first one, knowing when to schedule these check-ups is an important step in taking care of your overall health.
Hearing loss often develops gradually, making it easy to overlook the early signs. However, recognizing these subtle changes in your hearing can be crucial for addressing the issue early and preserving your overall quality of life. Understanding what to watch for can help you take action before the problem worsens.
One of the most common early signs is difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. You might find it harder to follow conversations in a bustling restaurant or during family gatherings. This challenge often stems from the inability to distinguish speech from background noise, a common indication of high-frequency hearing loss. Another indicator is frequently asking people to repeat themselves, especially in situations where others don’t seem to have trouble hearing.
Other signs might include turning up the volume on your TV or phone more than usual or feeling as though people are mumbling even when they’re speaking clearly. You may also notice that certain sounds, like the chirping of birds or the ringing of a doorbell, are no longer as distinct as they once were. Additionally, straining to hear can lead to fatigue or frustration during conversations, making social interactions feel more exhausting than enjoyable.
Hearing tests are essential at various stages of life, even if you don’t notice any signs of hearing loss. Routine evaluations help track changes in your hearing over time and catch any potential issues before they worsen. Knowing when to schedule a hearing test ensures you’re taking proactive steps to maintain your auditory health.
For adults, it’s recommended to have a baseline hearing test by the age of 50 if you haven’t had one earlier. This helps establish a reference point for your hearing ability, making it easier to identify any changes in the future. After age 50, you should aim to get your hearing tested every three years, as the risk of age-related hearing loss increases with time.
For those working in noisy environments, like construction, manufacturing or entertainment, annual hearing tests are crucial regardless of age. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds can lead to noise-induced hearing loss, which often progresses unnoticed. Regular testing helps monitor and address any changes caused by workplace conditions.
Major life events can also signal a good time for a hearing test. For instance, if you’re starting a new job, planning for retirement or simply want to ensure you’re fully present in social or family settings, scheduling a hearing test can provide peace of mind. Maintaining your hearing health at these moments can support your ability to participate fully in all aspects of life.
Regular hearing evaluations, tailored to your lifestyle and stage of life, are an essential part of proactive healthcare. By incorporating hearing tests into your routine, you can ensure that your auditory health is as well cared for as the rest of your body.
Certain lifestyle factors, occupations and hobbies can significantly impact your hearing health, often without you realizing the extent of the risk until it’s too late. Being aware of these risks can help you take proactive measures to protect your hearing and know when to schedule a hearing test outside the standard recommendations.
One of the most common risks to hearing is exposure to loud noise. Occupations like construction, manufacturing, music or working in a factory often expose workers to continuous or sudden loud sounds that can damage the delicate structures within the inner ear. If you work in any of these environments, routine hearing tests are essential. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends hearing tests for workers exposed to noise levels above 85 decibels for prolonged periods. It’s also critical to wear proper ear protection, like earplugs or earmuffs, when in these environments.
Beyond work, hobbies like attending concerts, using power tools or participating in motorsports can put your hearing at risk. Listening to music through earbuds or headphones at high volumes is another activity that can gradually cause hearing damage. The risk is higher when you regularly expose your ears to sounds above 85 decibels, which is common with many portable music players and noisy activities. If you engage in such hobbies frequently, it may be wise to get your hearing tested annually or whenever you experience any difficulty hearing in quieter environments.
Another important risk factor is age. Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is a natural process that typically starts to affect individuals after the age of 60. However, people who have had a lifetime of exposure to loud noise or have a family history of hearing loss might experience this earlier. If you’ve noticed gradual changes in your hearing, even if they seem subtle, it’s wise to schedule a hearing test to identify any early signs and take preventive measures.
Your overall health can also impact your hearing. Medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or cardiovascular diseases can contribute to hearing loss. Additionally, certain medications, known as ototoxic drugs, can have a toxic effect on the inner ear, leading to hearing damage. If you have any of these conditions or are taking medications that could affect your hearing, regular hearing tests can help detect issues before they become more pronounced.
A hearing evaluation typically starts with a detailed discussion about your auditory health history, including any symptoms you’ve been experiencing, your lifestyle habits and any instances of hearing loss in your family. This is followed by a physical examination where the audiologist checks for any visible abnormalities in your ear that could be affecting your hearing.
The primary part of the test involves an audiometric assessment, which measures how well you can hear different sounds at varying volumes and pitches. This is usually done using headphones in a quiet environment. The results are then plotted on an audiogram, which provides a visual representation of your hearing ability. In addition to the standard audiometric test, a variety of other tests may also be performed depending on your symptoms and needs. For example, pure-tone audiometry is used to assess your hearing sensitivity at different frequencies, while speech recognition tests evaluate your ability to understand speech in quiet and noisy settings.
For those with specific concerns, additional tests like tympanometry may be performed to assess the function of your middle ear. This test measures the movement of the eardrum in response to changes in air pressure, helping to identify issues like fluid buildup or Eustachian tube dysfunction. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing can also be done if there is a suspicion of nerve-related hearing issues. This test evaluates the electrical activity along the hearing pathways from the ear to the brain, providing valuable insight into more complex hearing conditions.
While these tests are thorough, they are typically non-invasive and painless. However, keep in mind that this process can take up to two hours and may cause anxiety in some individuals due to fear of potential negative outcomes.
After your hearing evaluation, you’ll receive an audiogram. This document might seem confusing at first, but it’s simply a visual representation of your hearing ability. Each mark on the graph represents how well you can hear different pitches or frequencies at various volumes.
The results from your audiogram provide valuable insights into any changes in your auditory health and can guide potential interventions if needed. By understanding these results, you’re taking a proactive step towards maintaining optimal auditory health.
Hearing health is dynamic, and just because your hearing was normal a year ago doesn’t mean that it will remain the same. Several signs and situations indicate it might be time to schedule a hearing test to assess whether there have been changes in your hearing.
If you’ve recently noticed that you’re having trouble hearing in certain situations, like difficulty understanding conversations in noisy environments, or needing to ask people to repeat themselves more often, these could be signs that your hearing has changed. Even subtle changes can indicate that your hearing is not what it used to be. If you feel that your hearing aids or hearing assistance devices are no longer performing as well as they once did, it could be time to retest your hearing. Sometimes, a hearing aid needs adjustment or maintenance, but in other cases, it might indicate that your hearing needs to be reassessed to see if there’s been a shift.
Another reason to get retested is if you’re experiencing ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. This can sometimes signal underlying hearing loss, and tracking any changes in the severity or frequency of the ringing can be important. Additionally, certain medical conditions, such as changes in blood pressure, diabetes or even medications that affect hearing, may prompt the need for a hearing test.
It’s also important to note that as we age, hearing loss tends to develop gradually, so you may not immediately notice the signs. If you’ve hit a milestone age, like 60, or if you’ve been exposed to loud noises over the years, scheduling an annual hearing test can help you stay on top of your hearing health.
Taking care of your hearing health is just as important as any other aspect of your well-being. Even though hearing changes can happen gradually, staying proactive by scheduling regular check-ups ensures that any early signs of hearing loss are detected and addressed sooner rather than later. Hearing plays a significant role in how we interact with the world, so maintaining it allows us to remain involved in conversations, activities and work.
The team at The Hearing and Tinnitus Center is always here to guide you through the process. The professionals at our Westminster, CO office are ready to assist with all your hearing needs – from setting up consultations based on your unique circumstances to assisting you with any changes in your auditory health. Feel free to reach out to us at (720) 420-7780 to schedule your appointment today.
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If you’ve been told by your audiologist that you may need a hearing aid,
By: admin | September 21, 2020