A wellness routine is the key to your overall wellness. That is why most people get their eyes checked annually, visit their physician for annual checkups, and visit their dentist every six months. You visit these providers even though you are not having a problem so you can make sure everything is going well and get ahead of any issues. But, when it comes to your hearing, are you visiting your Audiologist annually?
Even if you feel you are not having any issues with your hearing, it is still a good idea to visit Lemme Audiology on a regular basis for several reasons. The first reason being a baseline hearing evaluation. This baseline evaluation is what your future evaluations and screenings will be compared to. It will allow your Audiologist to look for any changes in your hearing health going forward. Since your hearing health is directly related to your heart health, brain health, and cognitive health, a change in your hearing health could warrant further testing by other health care providers.
How often should you visit your Audiologist?
If you are a healthy adult between the ages of 18-40 years old and are not experiencing any noticeable hearing loss, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) suggests having your hearing screened every three to five years.
If you work in a noisy environment, your hearing should be screened more often because you are at a higher risk for Noise Induced Hearing Loss. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires a Hearing Conservation Program for companies whose employees have noise exposures equal to or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA. The program includes measuring noise levels in the workplace and annual hearing exams. Several local companies in our area send their employees to Lemme Audiology for their annual hearing exams as part of their program.
If you have a documented hearing loss, we would like to see you yearly. Each year, your Audiologist will screen your hearing to determine if any changes have occurred in your hearing health. This also allows you to report any new symptoms such as tinnitus or decreased speech understanding to your Audiologist and receive recommendations regarding treating your hearing loss and protecting it.
If you are a hearing aid patient, our Audiologists encourage yearly screenings. This is done to determine if any changes have occurred in your hearing and learn about any new symptoms you are experiencing. These yearly appointments also give you the opportunity to have your prescription inside your hearing aids adjusted if needed.
So, don’t forget that your annual visits with your Audiologist are just as important as your annual visits with your other health care providers. To schedule your annual visit with your Audiologist, or to schedule your baseline hearing evaluation, just call (814) 941-7770.
