PRO HEARING SPONSORED CONTENT

Every new year brings fresh resolutions, new goals, and a renewed hope to commit and succeed. Among the most popular objectives set are related to health and wellness. For many, this looks like increasing physical fitness and changing eating habits. For others, it means being more intentional attending health check-ups like the dentist, the optometrist, or the audiologist. It is not uncommon for people to push back routine appointments when there is no cause for concern or when something “isn’t that bad yet.” Thinking this way can often lead to undetected or underlying issues and delayed treatment. This same principle holds true for hearing check-ups. That is why being proactive about getting regular assessments and baselines are so very important.

Generally speaking, if a health condition goes unnoticed for too long, complications can arise and affect other parts of the body, increasing health risks. For instance, delaying dental visits could result in needing a root canal rather than a filling if a cavity is left long enough. Or if blood pressure and cholesterol aren’t monitored regularly or treated swiftly, heart disease might develop as a result. Hearing is no different. Did you know that prolonged, untreated hearing loss can lead to increased health risks as well? As a matter of fact, long standing hearing loss has definitively been linked with a five-fold risk of Alzheimer’s disease, decreased brain volume, fall chances, and even depression and anxiety. Based on this evidence, it is easy to see the importance of early detection and early intervention.

When reading hearing test results, hearing care providers look to specific ranges that indicate normal limits and areas of concern. When a test is performed, the objective is to chart in decibels (dB) the quietest volume a patient can hear at any given frequency. The louder the decibels charted, the more severe the loss. Normal hearing thresholds are anything under 20dB, mild hearing loss falls between 20-40dB, moderate hearing loss falls between 41-60dB, severe hearing loss ranges from 61-80dB, and anything measured over 80db can be categorized as profound or deaf.

Getting a baseline hearing test and periodic re-tests are incredibly important to overall health and wellness. When left untreated for too long, hearing loss can lead to poorer outcomes, namely with brain health. Heading to a trusted audiologist, like those at Pro Hearing, for a baseline hearing exam is an easy and proactive way to take control of your hearing and cognitive health this year. Call us today!

NW Oklahoma City: CALL 405-775-9875

SW Oklahoma City:  CALL 405-378-4165

Dr. Pam Matthews, Audiologist
Pro Hearing, LLC
9409 N May Avenue and 10404 S Pennsylvania Ave
Oklahoma City, OK