Need a New Year’s Resolution? Take a Hearing Test

At the top of every resolution list in the new year is “stay fit and healthy.” Based on 2015’s survey results from Nielsen, 37% of respondents listed this as their primary new year’s resolution. This is why, every January, gyms and fitness centers around the country see a spike in new memberships. (At the same time, gym attendance usually plummets a few months later, but we won’t go there!)

If taking care of your health is at the top of your list for the new year, there’s one simple resolution you can make that brings many benefits: schedule a hearing test!

What If My Hearing is Just Fine?

If you haven’t noticed any changes in your hearing abilities, that’s great! The thing about hearing loss, though, is it tends to happen gradually, over an extended period of time. This is why it’s important to take annual hearing tests, so that your hearing specialist can monitor your abilities each year. This is especially important if you are age 50 or older.Many people do not notice changes in their hearing abilities right away. Even those who do notice tend to ignore it, due to taboos and stigmas surrounding hearing loss. Hearing specialists estimate that people wait about seven years from the time they first experience changes in their hearing to the time they decide to seek help. By waiting an extended period of time, people may be jeopardizing their health and well-being.

How is Hearing Related to Health?

Did you know that hearing loss is the third most common medical condition in the United States? It follows heart disease and diabetes. Approximately 48 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss, with people over 65 experiencing higher rates (30%).

Hearing loss is an invisible condition, so people don’t pay much attention to it until it’s too late. The reality is, untreated hearing loss has many negative consequences to different areas of your life – and this includes your health. With untreated hearing loss, there is a greater risk for developing dementia, not to mention disorders related to stress, anxiety, and depression.  Additionally, untreated hearing loss has been linked to an increased rate of falls, accidents, and hospitalizations.

Other Benefits of Addressing Hearing Loss

Many studies have found that addressing hearing loss early on brings many benefits to different areas of your life. People who treat hearing loss with hearing aids tend to have higher earning power than colleagues who do not treat their hearing loss. Untreated hearing loss could affect your concentration, memory, and productivity in the workplace.  

Outside of work, treating hearing loss could help to improve your interpersonal relationships. Speech recognition is one of the biggest challenges for those with hearing loss. People with untreated hearing loss tend to withdraw over time, due to difficulty with communication. This social isolation could strain relationships, and could contribute to depression. If you have a hearing loss, the prescription of hearing aids greatly improves your ability to communicate, even in noisy environments.

What to Expect at a Hearing Test

If you’re planning to go to your first hearing test, don’t worry! The hearing test is a simple, painless, and non-invasive process that only takes about an hour of your day. You’ll meet with one of our hearing specialists at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services to discuss your medical history, then we’ll conduct a physical examination of your ears with an otoscope. After this, you’ll take a few hearing tests, such as the pure-tone test and the speech recognition test. The results of these tests will be recorded on an audiogram, which we’ll review with you.

An annual hearing test – like an eye exam or a physical – helps us keep track of your hearing health. If anything changes within the year, we’ll able to monitor it. If your hearing abilities change, it is beneficial to catch it early and prescribe hearing aids as treatment. As far as hearing aids go, they are now discreet and smart, with abilities to connect to your smartphone and stream sounds wirelessly.

Ready to Make a Resolution for Better Hearing Health?

Contact us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services today. We offer comprehensive hearing tests for people of all ages. If you have children, consider annual hearing tests for them as well.

Locations in Mission Viejo, Irvine, San Clemente, Laguna Beach and Laguna Hills

Call us to schedule: 949- 364-4361