You still consult with the eye doctor every year if you have glasses, right? That’s because your eyes can change with time. In fact, no part of your body is static, not your eyes and not, the reality is, neither are your ears. That’s the reason why, just as it is with your eyes, it’s necessary to keep getting your ears tested even after you purchase a set of hearing aids.
Unfortunately, many people miss those regular checkups. Maybe they’ve been too busy enjoying their lives to get back in to see the doctor. Or it’s possible that your job has been stressful lately. Or maybe you’ve just been so satisfied with your hearing aids that you haven’t needed to get another appointment. You would normally consider that to be a good thing.
Over time, for individuals with hearing impairment, it is even more important to have even one follow-up appointment. In spite of that, ongoing care is often ignored. According to one survey, only 33% of seniors with hearing aids also used regular hearing services.
Once You Get Hearing Aids, is it Actually Necessary to go Back For Examinations?
Your hearing is not static. It changes over time. It’s important to modify the hearing aids to counter those changes. Periodic testing helps monitor any variations in hearing and catch problems early.
It may be a smart idea to have frequent checkups for other reasons also. Some of the most common reasons to ensure you show up to your next appointment include:
- Hearing decline: Even if you use a hearing aid, your hearing may keep deteriorating. If this deterioration is slow enough, you likely won’t realize it’s occurring without the assistance of a hearing evaluating. Appropriate alterations to your hearing aids can often slow hearing declines.
- Hearing aid calibration: Though your overall hearing health may remain stable, small changes in your hearing could produce the need for annual adjustments of your hearing aid. Your hearing aids might gradually become less effective without this kind of calibration.
It’s important to get your hearing aids cleaned professionally occasionally in addition to tracking changes in your hearing. We can clean all the little components and keep your hearing in peak conditions and as well as making sure it’s working at peak performance.
The Risk of Not Following up With Regular Exams
The ultimate worry, here, is that over time, the hearing aids will quit working the way they’re supposed to, so you’ll get aggravated with them and stop wearing them altogether. Wearing hearing aids helps you hear better, naturally, but it also affects your general health. If you discontinue using your hearing aids, not only can your hearing decline faster, you may not recognize it right away. Neglected hearing loss has been connected to many health issues including mental decline and a greater risk of accidents.
When it comes to having your hearing aids working at an optimal level, regular check ups are your best bet. So that you can be certain your hearing aids are functioning as they should be you should get annual hearing examinations. So make your hearing exam now.
