You’re still young and active. You’re still in the prime of life. Hearing challenges and hearing loss are far away on the horizon.
So, is it really necessary to have hearing tests when you’re in your 50s?
Let’s face it: Most people assume that hearing challenges only affect the elderly. Unfortunately, in our noisy world full of ototoxic chemicals and the capacity to blast music, videos, and video games directly into our ears, that’s no longer the case.
Lives are being impacted by hearing loss at increasingly lower ages year by year. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders (NIDCD), over 60 million American adults below the age of 69 are exposed to damaging noise levels where they work and about 18 million are exposed to hearing damage from non-occupational noise.
Consequently, hearing challenges can no longer be thought of as something you have to deal with after you turn 70 years old, and we can no longer assume that all hearing challenges are the same.
Beltone Hearing centers throughout Michigan and Northern Ohio provide free hearing tests and personalized hearing care for individuals struggling with hearing challenges regardless of which age bracket they fit into.
What Will a Hearing Assessment Do for Me?
You probably weren’t aware that most people wait from seven to 10 years after they experience the first signs of hearing loss before asking for help. Tragically, while they hesitate, their condition worsens and can lead to other healthcare issues, like dementia and balance disorders.
It is a major positive to have your hearing tested even before you begin to experience any of the signs of hearing loss or its associated consequences. With a comprehensive hearing assessment, your hearing care professional is able to establish measurable, baseline numbers from which changes to your hearing can be tracked before they begin to threaten your independence and quality of life.
Early hearing assessments provide your hearing care provider with a broader range of preventative measures or a less complicated set of treatment options before the damage takes over.
Overcoming the Stigma
Let’s face it: Hearing aids tend to have a negative stigma attached to them, because those who wear them are seen as being old and broken.
That’s not how we see things. We see your hearing challenges as a sign that you have enjoyed a life full of wonderful experiences, and some of them may have been a bit too loud.
Many of our patients come in for a hearing assessment worried that their lives are over and they’ll be relegated to the “old folks” club. However, most leave feeling more confident about their hearing, themselves, and their futures.
Here is a little secret: More and more of the people we see are adults in their 50s and younger who are waking up to the fact that specialized hearing care is a positive lifestyle choice.
What to Expect During a Hearing Assessment
Some people hesitate to have their hearing tested because they are afraid of the unknown.
A hearing assessment at Beltone Hearing begins with a conversation about your health records, family history, occupation, hobbies, and social activities. From this conversation we are able to identify some of the risk factors that are common in the development of hearing loss.
After your interview, we’ll do a physical examination of your ears. We’re looking to see if your ear canal is blocked by a foreign substance, earwax, a growth, or inflammation, while evaluating the structural integrity of your eardrum.
Once the physical examination of your ears is complete, you and your ears will be put through a series of tests to determine the type and severity of any hearing loss you might be experiencing, including how well you hear and process speech in a noisy environment.
Unlike most lab tests, you won’t have to wait long for the results. As soon as your test is complete, your audiologist will show you your test results, explain what they mean, and then provide you with solutions to prevent additional damage or discuss the various options available to help you achieve better hearing.
Ready to Be Proactive About Your Hearing Health?
If you have reached the age of 50, we highly recommend that you begin to have hearing wellness checks every couple of years.
Being able to monitor changes to your hearing makes it possible to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that your active and independent lifestyle continues uninterrupted before you reach retirement and beyond.
Safeguard your future—your social life, work life, and family life—by becoming proactive about your hearing health. Schedule a hearing assessment at the Beltone location nearest you by clicking on this link or calling us at (888) 691-3821.
