You will still visit your eye doctor annually even if you already wear eyeglasses. Because your eyes change over time. Nothing in your body is static, not your eyes and not, it turns out, your ears either. That’s why, just as it is with your eyes, it’s essential to keep getting your ears examined even after you’ve invested in a nice pair of hearing aids.
Many individuals, regrettably, miss those yearly appointments. Perhaps they’ve been too occupied enjoying their lives to get back in to see the doctor. Or perhaps, work has been especially stressful this year. Or perhaps you’ve simply decided to not go back in because you’re so pleased with your hearing aids. It seems like that would be good, right?
Getting your hearing examined
Let’s take Daphne as an imaginary example. Daphne has been detecting 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 trouble following discussions. And so, she goes in to get her hearing tested (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 precisely calibrated, and then goes back to her normal routine.
Issue solved? Well, maybe not completely. It’s fantastic that Daphne went in for a hearing exam and caught her hearing problems early. But, over time, follow-up care becomes even more important for people with even a small amount of hearing loss. Keeping up on regular appointments would be a wise idea for Daphne. But Daphne’s not alone in avoiding check-ups, according to one study, just 33% of senior citizens using hearing aids also maintained regular hearing services.
Why do you need check-ups 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 fixed and stop changing. Her hearing aids will need to be adjusted to counter those changes. Regular testing helps keep track of any changes in hearing and detect issues early.
And that’s not even the only reason why it might be a good idea to keep regular appointments once you get your hearing aids. Some of the most common reasons to ensure you make it to your next check-up include:
- Hearing aid calibration: Your hearing changes in small ways, and while your general hearing may remain consistent, these slight changes may require you to get regular hearing assessments. Your hearing aid may become less and less reliable if you avoid this calibration.
- Your fit may change: It’s possible that there will be a change in the way your hearing aids fit as your ears are always changing. Routine check-ups can help guarantee that your hearing aids continue to fit the way they’re supposed to.
- Hearing degeneration: Even with a hearing aid, your hearing could continue to deteriorate. If this degeneration is slow enough, you most likely won’t recognize it’s happening without the assistance of a hearing test. Proper alterations to your hearing aids can often slow hearing loss.
Hazards and roadblocks
The main problem here is that sooner or later, the hearing aids Daphne is using will stop working the way they’re supposed to, so she’ll get frustrated with them and stop wearing them entirely. Over time, hearing loss can be slowed by wearing hearing aids. If you stop wearing them, not only can your hearing deteriorate faster, you might not notice it right away.
If you want your hearing aids to continue working efficiently, routine check-ups are going to be your best option in terms of achieving that. Protect your hearing and make sure your hearing aids are effectively working by getting regular screenings.