You will still visit your eye doctor yearly even if you already use eyeglasses. Because your eyes change over time. Like the rest of your body, your eyes aren’t fixed and neither are your ears. That’s why, just as it is with your eyes, it’s essential to keep having your ears examined even after you’ve purchased a quality pair of hearing aids.
Unfortunately, many people skip those routine check-ups. Perhaps they’ve been too busy enjoying their lives to get back in to see the doctor. Or, it could be that your job has been stressful lately. Or maybe, you’ve just been so happy with your hearing aids that you haven’t had a reason to go back in. That should be a good thing, right?
Scheduling a hearing exam
Let’s use Daphne as our imaginary stand-in. Daphne has been noticing some red flags related to her hearing for a while now. Her TV volume continues to get louder. When she goes out after work to a loud restaurant, she has a hard time following discussions. And so, she goes in to have her hearing checked (because she’s intelligent and she takes care of herself).
Daphne makes certain to follow all of the steps 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.
Problem solved? Well, maybe not completely. It’s great that Daphne went in for a hearing test and discovered her hearing issues early. But, over time, follow-up care becomes even more significant for individuals with even a small amount of hearing loss. Keeping up on regular appointments would be a wise idea for Daphne. But Daphne isn’t alone in avoiding check-ups, according to one survey, just 33% of seniors using hearing aids also scheduled regular hearing services.
Why do you need hearing exams once you have hearing aids?
Remember when we used the glasses metaphor earlier? Just because Daphne uses hearing aids now doesn’t mean her hearing will become fixed and stop changing. It’s important to fine-tune the hearing aids to counter those changes. Any hearing changes can be recognized early with periodic monitoring.
And that’s not even the only reason why it may be a smart idea to keep regular appointments after you have your hearing aids. Here are some of the most important reasons:
- Hearing aid calibration: While your general hearing health might continue to be stable, small changes in your hearing might produce the need for yearly calibration of your hearing aid. Your hearing aid may become less and less effective if you avoid this calibration.
- Your fit may change: It’s likely that there will be a change in how your hearing aids fit as your ears are always changing. Making certain your hearing aids continue to fit properly is a big part of your regular check-ups.
- Hearing degeneration: Your hearing could continue to worsen even if you use hearing aids. Frequently, this deterioration of your hearing is quite gradual and without regular examinations, you most likely won’t even detect it. Hearing loss can often be slowed by properly adjusting your hearing aids.
Dangers and hurdles
The issue is, Daphne could, in her frustration, stop using her hearing aids entirely because they’re not functioning correctly. Using hearing aids helps slow down hearing loss over time. If you stop wearing 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, regular hearing assessments are vital. Protect your hearing and make sure your hearing aids are effectively working by getting regular screenings.