It's a new year, which means it's time to think about what you want to achieve this year. If you are like countless other Americans, you will be promising yourself to eat better, go to the gym, perhaps stay connected with family by calling or visiting more, and promising to be a better friend. You schedule your annual physical, note down your dental appointments in your planner, and call the optometrist.   This year, we recommend you also schedule an annual hearing test.

Why should you schedule a hearing test?

Hearing loss is the most common physical ailment for Americans, behind arthritis and heart disease. It affects people of all ages and, and even though people know they have hearing loss, they often wait between 5 to 15 years to have it treated!  Would you wait that long to get your glasses adjusted or your blood pressure checked? Would you put those tests on the back burner if you thought you might have diabetes or heart disease? Of course not! So add a hearing test to your annual health regime. Even if you don't have hearing loss, tests are essential to benchmark your hearing health. A test doesn't just measure if you can hear a series of beeps; it determines what frequencies you hear and if you can hear at low or normal tones. Since hearing loss is gradual, getting an evaluation each year is a great idea to keep track of your hearing health.

Some facts about hearing loss

• In the United States, 48 million people, or 20% of the population, have some degree of hearing loss. For many, hearing loss occurs as they age, but hearing loss affects all ages.

• According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 15% of school-aged children, ages 6 to 19, have some degree of hearing loss, and often it is due to exposure to excessive noise. About 3 in 1,000 children in the United States are born with hearing loss in one or both ears.

• 40% of adults between the ages of 60 and 69 have hearing loss

• 50% of Americans over the age of 75 have some hearing loss.

The longer you wait to get a hearing evaluation, the more inadvertent damage can happen to your most important relationships and your overall health. Don't wait any longer – why not add an annual hearing test to your new year's resolutions?

Signs of hearing loss

Think about the following situations, and if you can relate to two or more, you likely have hearing loss and need to get your hearing checked.

• You sometimes turn up the television volume louder than others find comfortable. 

• You have had a family member mention you seem to be having trouble hearing. 

• You find it easier to understand someone if you face them while they talk. You don't always know what direction a sound is coming from. 

• You have trouble hearing phone conversations. 

• You can't seem to understand speakers at lectures or conferences. 

• It's getting harder to understand a conversation at a restaurant when there's a lot of other action going on, and you have to ask the server to keep repeating things.

If any of these sound familiar, you're living with untreated hearing loss. Not only does hearing loss decrease your quality of life, but untreated hearing loss has also been linked to many social and health issues, including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, heart issues, diabetes, depression, and brain shrinkage, which causes early-onset dementia.

Schedule a test today

At our practice, we are committed to your hearing health. Hearing devices are marvels of technology, and they are smaller and brighter than ever before. We will help you find a model you are comfortable with and that works the best for you.  Some models fit directly into the ear canal and are invisible. We have rechargeable models, so you'll never need to mess around with changing batteries. These devices can be adjusted by a tiny remote or with your iPhone, and our staff stands ready to answer your questions and help you get the optimum performance out of your hearing devices. Most manufacturers also have a helpline, and they can adjust your hearing aids remotely if needed. Don't put off your hearing test. Call us today to schedule your annual hearing test.