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Thanks to universal newborn hearing screening legislation, the majority of babies born in the U.S. have their hearing tested before they leave the hospital. Hearing tests are also part of regular checkups with the pediatrician. But most adults report the last time they had their hearing checked was as a child. A Cleveland Clinic paper reports, “Few providers prioritize hearing health or regularly recommend for annual hearing evaluation.”
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says, “Anyone regularly exposed to hazardous noise should have an annual hearing test.” It adds that anyone who notices a change in their hearing, or who develops tinnitus, should have their ears checked.
For those who have healthy ears and who are not exposed to hazardous noise should get a hearing test every three years. Remember, hearing loss hurts more than your ears, and even a mild hearing loss—not being able to hear whispering—is linked to double the risk for dementia. (Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., is investigating whether treating hearing loss with hearing aids can reduce the dementia risk.)
The Cleveland Clinic researchers found that administering hearing tests is often overlooked by general practitioners. The takeaway: We may have to be proactive about asking for a hearing test during doctor’s visits, so that it’s monitored in the same way our blood pressure is regularly checked.
Hearing Loss Can Be Subtle and Gradual
Let’s ask ourselves these questions:
Do you have difficulty hearing over the telephone?
Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?
Do you have to listen carefully or strain to understand the conversation?
Do you have trouble hearing in noisy environments?
Do you often need to ask people to repeat themselves?
Do people around you often seem to mumble?
Do you have dizziness, pain, or ringing in your ears?
Do others complain about you turning up the TV volume too high?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, consider taking an online hearing test as a first step. It’s fast, easy, and private. A 2022 American Journal of Audiology study found that a smartphone app hearing test showed similar results to that in an audiology clinic. Medical News Today lists the pros and cons of several popular online hearing tests. Online hearing tests allow us to monitor our hearing regularly and conveniently.
The World Health Organization has a hearing test, hearWHO, that can be taken using a phone or a laptop, with headphones or earbuds
Take the WHO’s online hearing test.
The variability in equipment and testing conditions (most of us don’t have a soundproof booth) means that, if a hearing loss is shown, a hearing care provider should confirm the results.
Let’s not take our hearing for granted. Another Cleveland Clinic paper points out: “Broader appreciation for the importance of keen hearing for adults is off-kilter: A recent survey found that people aged 50 to 80 were twice as likely to plan on taking their pet to the veterinarian in the coming year than to get their hearing checked.” We love our pets but let’s take care of our ears, too.