Hearing and vision checks

What it is

Vision screening programs are described as helping to find people who need follow-up with an eye care professional. A comprehensive dilated eye exam is described as the best way to detect glaucoma in people at higher risk.

Source: National Eye Institute (NIH): National Eye Institute Statement on Detection of Glaucoma and Adult Vision Screening ↗

How it's thought to help

• Hearing screening can use a whispered voice, a finger rub, or a watch tick heard at a set distance.
• Hearing loss can also be checked by asking a single question about hearing difficulty or by using a longer questionnaire.
• A handheld tool that combines an otoscope (ear viewing tool) with a built-in hearing tester can also be used.
• The simplest vision screening program measures how well each eye sees on its own.
• A glaucoma eye exam includes a family history, sharpness of vision, eye pressure, and a look at the retina and optic nerve through dilated pupils.

Sources: US Preventive Services Task Force: Archived: Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Screening ↗ · National Eye Institute (NIH): National Eye Institute Statement on Detection of Glaucoma and Adult Vision Screening ↗

What people use it for

Hearing screening tests are used in primary care to detect hearing loss in adults. Vision screening is used to find people who need follow-up by an eye care professional, and to educate the public about eye health.

Sources: US Preventive Services Task Force: Archived: Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Screening ↗ · National Eye Institute (NIH): National Eye Institute Statement on Detection of Glaucoma and Adult Vision Screening ↗

What the research has found so far

• A 2012 task force statement found convincing evidence that hearing screening tools can reliably and accurately identify adults with objective hearing loss.
• The task force found evidence was insufficient to judge the balance of benefits and harms of hearing screening in adults 50 and older without symptoms.
• One good-quality study showed hearing aids can improve self-reported hearing, communication, and social functioning for some adults with age-related hearing loss.
• Simple hearing screens seem nearly as accurate as detailed questionnaires or handheld hearing testers.

Source: US Preventive Services Task Force: Archived: Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Screening ↗

On hearing and vision checks and aging, PubMed lists 2,730 trials in people, 13,281 studies that watched people over time, 525 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches

Side effects and risks

Case reports link hearing aid treatment to earwax blockage, skin irritation, accidentally kept ear molds, outer ear infection, and middle ear problems.

Source: US Preventive Services Task Force: Archived: Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Screening ↗

Questions to ask your doctor

• Is hearing and vision checks a good fit for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
• Is there anything I should avoid or watch for, given my health conditions?
• Where should I start, and how much is right for me?
• How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?