If you are worried at all about what it might take to get a hearing test Emily Lampa went to the experts to see what that entails.
Dr. Lauren Aramin, doctor of audiology says hearing is absolutely important and it is usually put on the back burner. Often times, she says, people don’t even realize they have hearing loss because the hearing loss typically happens very slowly over a long period of time and you just kind of ignore it.
Everyone should have a hearing test even if you are not having that much concern with your hearing. It is important to get a baseline hearing evaluation to see where you stand. That way years from now, whether it is ten or 15 years down the road you have something to compare it to and they can see how your hearing has changed.
Having an untreated hearing loss is so much more obvious then dealing with the hearing loss at hand. If you don’t treat the hearing loss it can cause other issues. Hearing loss, as a whole, has been connected with other aspects of healthcare. Dr. Aramin say there is a link with falls, a link with depression, and there is a risk of dementia. She says that is probably the hottest topic in our community of audiology is that link between hearing loss and dementia or cognitive issues.
When asked when you should get a hearing test, Dr. Aramin says any time over the age of 40 or 50 everyone should have that baseline test done or if you have any concerns about your hearing. For example, if you’re 30 and you are asking for a lot of repetitions there is no harm in getting tested to find out where you are and what those test results look like. The test usually takes between 45 – 60 minutes between the testing and over going over the test results to make sure you understand it.
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