There was an article recently in our local paper that reviewed the pros and cons of a wide variety of medical screenings – mammograms, pap tests, colonoscopies, prostate, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index. The article had some good things to say, but there was at least one important screening they left out. You guessed it! Hearing.
I understand that the author probably did not intend the list to be exhaustive, but hearing loss is a widespread and under-recognized problem that should be mentioned whenever health screenings are discussed. There has been some good news recently on the screening front. Physicians now do a “welcome to Medicare” interview, and part of that interview is about hearing.
I recommend that people get their ears checked about as often as they get their eyes checked. That way, your local audiologist can always keep you hearing at your best.