Why a Hearing Exam Should Be On Your Health Checklist

Why should a hearing exam be on your 2026 annual health or self-care list this year? Here are three reasons, and they actually go beyond just general auditory health and wellness.

1. Remove Painful, Nasty Earwax

Earwax blockage can happen to anyone. When it does, you may end with an earache, tinnitus, dizziness, feel stuffed up, or have pain in or around your ears. And you likely won’t be able to hear as well, even if you don’t have hearing loss.

Earwax is naturally produced by the glands in the ears to help lubricate your ear canals, keeping dust and debris from getting too far inside. The skin in the outer ear helps move earwax out of the ear at an average rate of bout 1 1/3 inches per year, but if you produce higher amounts of earwax or wear hearing aids, you may be more likely to need professional cleanings.

Need another reason to see an audiologist to safely remove earwax? Besides helping you hear better, having your earwax removed professionally ensures you won’t accidentally hurt your eardrums permanently by sticking dangerous Q-tips inside them. Learn more about earwax removal here.

2. Help Identify Your Risk of Potentially Developing Dementia

People who develop hearing loss between the ages of 40 and 65 have an increased risk of developing dementia research shows. A John Hopkins study recently dove into this more, and found the following connections:

A mild hearing loss doubled the risk of dementia
A moderate hearing loss tripled the risk
A severe hearing loss increased the risk fivefold

Getting a hearing exam each year can help you track trends in hearing loss, and try to get ahead of any potential early indications of cognitive decline.

3. Stay Connected with Friends & Family

Life gets busy, and sometimes we can’t see our friends and loved ones as often as we want. But when you slowly start to pull away, it may not always be because you want to. People with hearing loss are more likely to withdraw from social situations. Hearing loss makes it harder to hear, can frustrate both you and others, and it can make you feel exhausted after talking or listening.

The reason we recommend adding a hearing exam to your annual healthcare checklist is because we know how important it is to stay connected, to spend time with the ones who bring you joy. Maybe this year you don’t need hearing aids. Maybe you won’t for 5 years, or 10 years. But staying on top of your hearing health like you do your heart and diet, can help you keep living the moments you love each day.

Not sure what hearing test is like or how to set one up? No worries. You can learn more about hearing exams here, and schedule yours at your convenience here