There may not be a single best time to schedule a hearing test, but living in South Carolina means some are better than others. Brush up on these three great reasons to schedule a hearing test before the leaves start falling.
1. Ragweed Pollen Spikes in Fall
South Carolina has year-round allergens, but each has unique seasonal spikes. Fall is when Ragweed spikes, with a 6 – 10 week duration that ends late November.1 As your immune system fights allergens, your whole body can be impacted.
Common allergy symptoms that can impact a hearing test include:
- Muffled hearing due to swelling of the eustachian tube
- Muffled hearing due to mucus buildup and swelling in the eustachian tube.
Either of these can make a reliable hearing test nearly impossible. So make sure to schedule your hearing test outside of your peak allergy season.
2. Hurricane Season Can Upend Scheduling
Hurricane Helene hit South Carolina in 2024, causing widespread power outages, flooding, and damage in Greenville from winds that hit 90 miles per hour.2
The biggest impact was on mobility, as downed trees made it impossible to traverse certain areas. If you or a loved one depends on having services at specific times, planning your scheduling to avoid seasonal weather variables is a great way to stay prepared.
It means in the event of a seasonal disaster, you’ll have already handled critical health-related care services and can focus on the immediate situation at hand.
3. Fall in South Carolina Gets Loud. What’s Your Hearing Baseline?
There’s more than one reason it takes the average hearing aid candidate over 8 years to seek treatment.3 Hearing loss is so gradual that it can be difficult to notice changes in real time, but you cannot determine a baseline without one.
If you’ve never had a hearing test, and you think your future self may be even slightly concerned about hearing loss, you’ve got one of the best reasons to visit an audiologist.
Establishing a baseline provides you with:
- An assessment of your current abilities and needs.
- An established point relating your hearing ability to averages for your age range.
- A point you and your practitioner can monitor progress from in the future.
The loudest events include college football games, fairs and concerts. The only way to track impact over time is by establishing a baseline first. Best of all? Your audiologist can recommend hearing protection to help you get the most enjoyment from your noisy activities while protecting your hearing.
Sources:
1 Allergy & Asthma Network. (n.d.). Ragweed allergy. https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/allergies/pollen-allergy/ragweed-allergy/
2 Greenville Journal. “2024 Rewind: Hurricane Helene.” Greenville Journal, https://greenvillejournal.com/community/2024-rewind-hurricane-helene/.
3 Simpson AN, Matthews LJ, Cassarly C, Dubno JR. Time From Hearing Aid Candidacy to Hearing Aid Adoption: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Ear Hear. 2019 May/Jun;40(3):468-476. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000641. PMID: 30085938; PMCID: PMC6363915.
