Even if you have glasses (the kind you put on your face, not the kind you drink out of), you still visit your eye doctor annually, right? Because your eyes change as time passes. Similar to the rest of your body, your eyes aren’t static and neither are your ears. That’s why, even after you’ve purchased hearing aids, it’s essential to continue to get your ears tested much like you would with your eyes.
Many individuals, unfortunately, neglect those annual appointments. Maybe they’ve been too occupied enjoying their lives to get back in to see your physician. Or, it may be that your job has been hectic lately. Or maybe, you’ve just been so happy with your hearing aids that you haven’t had a reason to go back in. It seems as if that would be good, right?
Scheduling a hearing assessment
Let’s use Daphne as our imaginary stand-in. Daphne has been detecting some red flags with her hearing for some time now. She keeps increasing the volume on her TV. She has difficulty following conversations at after-work happy hours in noisy restaurants. And because she enjoys taking care of herself, and she’s intelligent, she schedules a hearing test.
Daphne makes certain to follow all of the instructions to manage her hearing impairment: she gets fitted for new hearing aids and has them precisely calibrated, and then goes back to her regular routine.
Problem solved? Well, maybe not completely. It’s great that Daphne went in for a hearing screening and discovered her hearing problems early. But, in the long run, follow-up care becomes almost more significant for individuals with even a small amount of hearing loss. Maintaining regular appointments would be a wise plan for Daphne. However, one study found that only around 33% of senior citizens with hearing aids get regular check-ups so Daphne isn’t alone.
Why do you need hearing exams after you get hearing aids?
Okay, remember our glasses metaphor? Just because Daphne uses hearing aids now doesn’t mean her hearing will become static and stop changing. Her hearing aids will need to be fine-tuned to counter those changes. Routine testing helps monitor any changes in hearing and catch issues early.
And there are other benefits to getting routine hearing assessments once you get hearing aids. Here are some of the most important reasons:
- Hearing deterioration: Even with a hearing aid, your hearing could keep deteriorating. If this deterioration is slow enough, you probably won’t recognize it’s happening without the assistance of a hearing screening. Hearing loss can frequently be slowed by correctly adjusting your hearing aids.
- Hearing aid calibration: Your hearing changes in slight ways, and while your general hearing may remain consistent, these slight changes could require you to get regular hearing tests. Your hearing aid may become less and less effective if you skip this calibration.
- Your fit may change: It’s likely that there will be a shift in how your hearing aids fit as your ears are always changing. Making certain your hearing aids continue to fit well is a significant part of your regular exam.
Hazards and roadblocks
The ultimate challenge here is that eventually, the hearing aids Daphne is using will stop working the way they’re supposed to, so she’ll get frustrated with them and stop using them entirely. Wearing hearing aids helps slow down hearing loss over time. If you stop using them, not only can your hearing diminish faster, you might not notice it right away.
If you want your hearing aids to continue working at an optimal level, regular check-ups are going to be your best bet in terms of attaining that. Safeguard your hearing and make sure your hearing aids are effectively working by having routine screenings.