You will still visit your eye doctor annually even if you already wear eyeglasses. Because your eyes change over time. Like the rest of your body, your eyes aren’t static and neither are your ears. That’s why, even after you’ve invested in hearing aids, it’s important to consistently get your ears assessed just like you would with your eyes.
Regrettably, many people miss those routine check-ups. Maybe a visit to their doctor is taking a back seat to enjoying life. Or, it might be that your job has been difficult lately. Or maybe you’ve just decided to not go back in because you’re so happy with your hearing aids. It seems as if that would be good, right?
Getting your hearing assessed
Let’s take Daphne as a fictional example. Daphne has been observing some red flags with her hearing for a while now. Her TV volume is getting louder and louder. She has problems following discussions at after-work happy hours in loud restaurants. And so, she goes in to have her hearing assessed (because she’s smart and she takes care of herself).
Daphne makes certain to follow all of the instructions to manage her hearing impairment: she gets fitted for new hearing aids and has them properly calibrated, and then gets back to her normal routine.
Issue solved? Well, maybe not entirely. It’s great that Daphne went in for a hearing test and discovered her hearing problems early. But for most people with hearing impairment, even a small one, follow-up care becomes even more vital in the long run. Keeping up on regular appointments would be a wise plan for Daphne. However, one study found that only around 33% of seniors with hearing aids get regular check-ups so Daphne isn’t by herself.
Why do you need check-ups once you get hearing aids?
Remember when we used the glasses metaphor earlier? Daphne’s hearing won’t become fixed and stop changing just because she uses hearing aids. Her hearing aids will need to be fine-tuned to account for those changes. Any hearing changes can be recognized early with routine monitoring.
And there are other benefits to getting regular hearing assessments after you get hearing aids. Here are some of the most important reasons:
- Your fit may change: Because your hearing is always changing, it’s quite possible that how your hearing aids fit around and in your ears will change. Routine hearing tests can help ensure that your hearing aids continue to fit the way they’re supposed to.
- Hearing aid calibration: Your hearing changes in small ways, and while your overall hearing may remain stable, these slight changes may require you to get regular hearing tests. Your hearing aid may become less and less effective if you avoid this calibration.
- Hearing deterioration: Even with a hearing aid, your hearing may keep deteriorating. Often, this deterioration of your hearing is very gradual and without routine screenings, you most likely won’t even recognize it. Correct alterations to your hearing aids can often slow hearing declines.
Dangers and roadblocks
The greatest concern here is that eventually, the hearing aids Daphne is wearing will quit working the way they’re supposed to, so she’ll get frustrated with them and stop using them altogether. Using hearing aids helps slow down hearing loss over time. If you quit using them, not only can your hearing deteriorate faster, you might not notice it right away.
As far as achieving optimal performance of your hearing aids, and optimal hearing, routine hearing exams are vital. Yearly hearing tests or screenings can help you be sure your hearing aids are working as they should and that your hearing remains protected.