Your favorite singer or band, your child’s laugh, and your partner’s words of encouragement are all things we love to hear, but can you imagine a world where you couldn’t? Changes in our hearing, or hearing loss entirely, can occur at any point during our lives. Lifestyle events, such as a career where you’re constantly surrounded by loud noises, or simply aging, can lead to drastic changes in our ability to hear. Luckily, a routine hearing screening can help catch and possibly remedy any loss of hearing before it has the opportunity to become worse.
What Is a Hearing Screening?
A hearing screening is typically a hearing test, or a pure-tone test, performed by an audiologist using an audiometer to determine your hearing sensitivity at different frequencies. A noise is transmitted at varying volumes alternating between each ear while you’re encouraged to raise your hand acknowledging you’ve heard it. The results of the screening help catch hearing loss early and detect how significant it is in each individual ear.
How Often Should You Get a Hearing Screening?
The frequency of receiving a hearing screening depends upon lifestyle choices and age. If you’re surrounded by noises at high volume on a regular basis, it’s best to have your hearing screened as part of your yearly physical check up. Otherwise, it’s okay to follow your doctor’s recommendations based upon age.
For infants and children, a hearing screening is done much more frequently than in adults as hearing problems can lead to other developmental issues along the way. Detecting potential hearing concerns early can help prevent many learning, social, or emotional problems related to speech development. It’s not uncommon for children to have multiple hearing screenings within a year, but at the very least they should have an annual screening as part of their regular check up. If you suspect your child may be suffering from hearing loss, it’s okay and encouraged to ask for an additional screening beyond the annual one to rule out or detect any issues.
For adults, a hearing screening can be part of the yearly physical or it can be spread out if you’re not suffering from any particular signs of hearing loss. From ages 18-45 years old, a hearing screening should be given at least every 5 years. From ages 45-60 years old, every 3 years. For someone 60 years old or over, a screening should be performed every 2 years at minimum.
If you’re in the Magnolia, TX, area and are in need of a hearing screening, reach out to Internal Medicine Diagnostic Center for an appointment today.
Source:
http://www.aihhp.org/your-hearing/routine-hearing-checks-how-often/