Even if you use glasses (the kind you put on your face, not the kind you drink out of), you still see 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 important to continue to get your ears tested much like you would with your eyes.
Many individuals, unfortunately, skip those yearly appointments. Perhaps they’ve been too occupied enjoying their lives to get back in to see your physician. Or, it could be that your job has been stressful lately. Or perhaps you’ve simply decided to not go back in because you’re so happy with your hearing aids. It seems as if that would be good, right?
Scheduling a hearing exam
Let’s take Daphne as an imaginary example. For quite a while, Daphne has detected some warning signs connected to her hearing. Her TV volume is getting louder and louder. She has difficulty understanding discussions at after-work happy hours in noisy restaurants. And so, she goes to have her hearing tested (because she’s smart and she takes care of herself).
Daphne makes certain to follow all of the steps to manage her hearing impairment: she purchases hearing aids, which are then properly fitted and calibrated, and then she gets on with her life.
Issue solved? Well, yes and no. It’s great that Daphne went in for a hearing test and caught her hearing issues early. But, over time, follow-up care becomes almost more significant for individuals with even minor hearing loss. Daphne would be doing herself a favor by maintaining regular appointments. But Daphne’s not alone in neglected check-ups, according to one survey, only 33% of seniors with hearing aids also scheduled routine hearing services.
Why do you need hearing exams after you have hearing aids?
Remember when we used the glasses metaphor earlier? Just because Daphne has hearing aids now doesn’t mean her hearing will become static and stop changing. It’s necessary to fine-tune the hearing aids to deal with those changes. Any hearing changes can be identified early with regular monitoring.
And that’s not even the only reason why it may be a smart idea to keep routine appointments once you get your hearing aids. Here are a few of the most important reasons:
- Hearing degeneration: Even with a hearing aid, your hearing may continue to deteriorate. Often, this degeneration of your hearing is very slow and without routine examinations, you probably won’t even notice it. Hearing decline can often be slowed by properly adjusting your hearing aids.
- Hearing aid calibration: Your hearing changes in slight ways, and while your overall hearing may remain consistent, these small changes could require you to get regular hearing tests. Without this calibration, your hearing aids could slowly become less and less effective.
- Your fit may change: It’s possible that there will be a shift in the way your hearing aids fit as your ears are always changing. Making sure your hearing aids continue to fit properly is a big part of your regular check-ups.
Hazards and hurdles
The greatest challenge here is that eventually, the hearing aids Daphne is wearing will stop working the way they’re intended 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 quit wearing them, not only can your hearing diminish faster, you may not notice it right away.
In terms of achieving efficient performance of your hearing aids, and optimal hearing, routine hearing exams are vital. Protect your hearing and make sure your hearing aids are properly working by getting regular screenings.