In a place like South Lake Tahoe, where the sounds of the great outdoors are constantly surrounding you, being able to hear clearly is something that many take for granted. Whether it’s chatting with your friends on the slopes, spending a sunrise snowmobiling, or simply enjoying live music with friends; healthy hearing keeps everyone connected to the moments that make Tahoe special.

Similar to regular healthcare check-ups for yourself, hearing health deserves the same attention.

“We stress the importance of following the timeline of regular hearing evaluations,” Dr. Jenelle Sandy, Au.D, CCC-A, pediatric and adult audiologist at Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic said. “[For] early detection, one has a newborn hearing screening and then through childhood, children should have their hearing checked regularly.”

Early detection is crucial in identifying and addressing hearing issues before they impact development.

“If a newborn fails a hearing screening, the zero-to-three age range is critical,” Dr. Sandy said. “If a child hasn’t received early intervention by the age of three, they are likely to experience lifelong hearing and speech challenges that could have been prevented.”

After childhood, hearing tests become less frequent, though regular monitoring once per decade is advised until around age 50 when more frequent evaluations are recommended.

“Once you reach 50, hearing tests are recommended every five years,” Dr. Sandy said. “Adults that are starting to see signs of age-related hearing loss in that age range should test more frequently. By age 65 and beyond, annual screenings are highly recommended.”

While it is recommended for individuals to begin regular testing after age 50, Dr. Sandy stresses the importance of individuals getting their hearing evaluated at any age, if experiencing issues.

“Anyone that is having occupational or recreational noise exposure should consider regular hearing evaluations,” Dr. Sandy said. “Anybody working in a loud environment, such as in construction or engineering, typically an annual hearing screening is an employment requirement. If you have recreational hobbies that expose you to loud sounds, such as riding a snowmobile or regularly attending concerts, it’s critical to wear your hearing protection, and you should consider getting your hearing checked.”

Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic provides comprehensive hearing evaluations that assess both auditory and speech functions, offering patients a clear understanding of their hearing health.

“A hearing evaluation at Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic is a full evaluation for auditory health and speech understanding,” Dr. Sandy said. “We do pure tone audiometry, which measures the softest sounds you can hear at various frequencies. There’s speech audiometry, which evaluates how well you understand speech in different environments. Then there’s tympanometry, which assesses the middle ear function and detecting issues like fluid buildup, eardrum abnormalities, or other potential anomalies.”

Once a hearing evaluation has been performed, the test provides a full spectrum of what a patient’s hearing and speech look like. The test provides Dr. Sandy the opportunity to properly diagnose any hearing conditions, and create a customizable care plan for next steps.

“There are various treatment options after a hearing evaluation,” Dr. Sandy said. “More often than not, if hearing loss is detected, a hearing aid may be recommended. Some people resist hearing aids due to concerns about appearance or aging, but untreated hearing loss can have more serious consequences.”

Dr. Sandy stresses the importance of listening to those around you regarding your hearing health. Telling signs of hearing loss include small changes in everyday patterns, such as loved ones asking you to repeat yourself several times, that the volume is turned up too high on the radio or television, or you’re regularly asking people to repeat themselves.

“If people around you are regularly providing feedback, get your hearing checked,” Dr. Sandy said. “Hearing loss doesn’t just affect the individual with hearing loss. People who are around you are affected, and it can be a struggle and frustrating for your loved ones if you’re not taking care of yourself. There is a lot of research correlating cognitive function and dementia with hearing loss, so just like anything health related, when an issue arises, we should get it checked; and we should be thinking about hearing in the same regard – especially when it comes to the longevity of our mental health.”

Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic is dedicated to the audiology needs of newborns, pediatrics, and adults. For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit https://www.tahoefamilyhearing.com/, or call 530-539-2447.

Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic is located at 2074 Lake Tahoe Boulevard #9, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. 96150.