Mar 25, 2021 02:41 PM EDT By Ernest Hamilton, UniversityHerald Reporter

When you go for a routine health check up, you rarely get to do a hearing test. Most doctors would not recommend one unless you complain of any issues. One of the most common things that they would recommend would be to have your eyes checked, but rarely the ears. The funny thing is that blurred vision can be easily corrected. When it comes to hearing impairment, it is almost always irreversible, primarily if it has affected your inner ear's hair cells. You cannot undergo a surgery to repair the damage, and hearing aids do not necessarily repair it either. Here are some plausible reasons on why you should get a hearing test:

1. Getting a Baseline Hearing Level

Age can have a significant impact on your hearing health. If you haven't had any hearing tests done before, it may be more difficult to determine your overall ability. One of the main reasons why a hearing test is necessary is to make sure that you are aware of your baseline hearing level so that you can keep track of it as you age, particularly when deciding whether the use of hearing aids are warranted. Baseline hearing tests can also be used to compare to future tests to determine the level of hearing loss. 

2. Early Detection of Hearing Loss

Age-related hearing loss occurs in people aged 65 years old and above. When you delay your hearing test, you are also delaying treatment. When this happens, your brain needs to work overtime to learn and process sound cues. If you have a developing hearing impairment, it would be better for you to use hearing aids when the symptoms are still mild. This way, you won't have a hard time processing different sounds all at once. 

3. Proper Health Promotion

Hearing loss can happen to anyone, not just older adults. Most individuals whose line of work mainly deal with noisy equipment, hearing loss if often inevitable. It can be traumatizing to lose a job because of the constant exposure they have at work. When you undergo a hearing test, you will know whether it is high time for you to use ear protection devices, such as earplugs. 

Additionally, hearing loss can also be an indication of an underlying health issue, such as hypertension or diabetes. Notably, some medications for diabetes can also cause hearing loss. A hearing test may indicate the need to change your medications. In case you don't know, untreated hearing loss can also increase your risk of developing dementia, so it is good for your mental health. 

4. Hearing Tests Are Not Painful

If your fear of experiencing pain is what's holding you back from taking a hearing test, it will be a consolation for you to know that they're painless. In fact, you'll hardly feel any discomfort at all. To start, the audiologist will do a physical exam of your ears to see if there are any abnormalities, infection, or impaction. Afterward, they will check whether you hear the sound pitch and volume properly.

5. Detect Underlying Health Issues

Hearing screenings can also be effective in determining the presence of underlying health issues. Symptoms of hearing loss can be seen in patients with Paget's disease, a bone disorder. Pendred syndrome, on the other hand, is a genetic condition that can cause hearing loss and balance issues in children. 

These five reasons should be enough to encourage you to undergo a hearing test to see if you have any developing hearing impairment. 

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