When is it time to get a hearing exam? Here are four signs that you need to have your hearing tested.
I guess my TV is frequently turned up to the point where my kids recently complained. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was funny. Because it was a joke. But it also wasn’t. The TV has been getting progressively louder. And that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing test.
There aren’t really that many reasons not to schedule yourself for a hearing test. Hearing assessments don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there isn’t any radiation. You’ve most likely just been putting it on the back-burner.
Considering how much untreated hearing loss can affect your health, you really should be more diligent about making sure your hearing loss hasn’t worsened.
Hearing evaluations are important for a wide variety of reasons. Even slight hearing loss can have an impact on your health and it’s nearly impossible to recognize early hearing loss without a hearing assessment.
So how will you know if you should make an appointment? Here are a few ways to know if you need to come see us.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
It’s time to get a professional hearing assessment if you’ve been experiencing signs of hearing loss recently. Clearly, it’s a strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a difficult time hearing.
But that’s not the only symptom, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are far less apparent:
- It’s hard to hear in noisy places: Have you ever had a hard time keeping up with conversations because of ambient noise in a crowded room? That may actually be a sign of hearing loss. Being able to isolate sounds is one sign of healthy hearing; this ability tends to diminish as hearing loss progresses.
- Chronic ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which is called tinnitus, is often a sign of hearing damage. If you’re dealing with some ringing that won’t stop, it may or may not be a symptom of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t stop, you should definitely call us for a hearing test.
- It seems like people are mumbling when they talk: Sometimes, it’s not loss of volume you need to worry about, it’s a loss of definition. Trouble following along with conversations is one of the first signs that something is going wrong with your hearing. If you notice this happening more and more, you may want to schedule a hearing exam.
- You always miss alerts for text messages: Mobile devices are manufactured to be loud enough for you to be able to hear. So if you’re continuously missing calls or text messages, it might be because you can’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more common sounds.
This list is not exhaustive, here are a few more:
- You have an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- Your ears aren’t removing earwax completely
- You have vertigo
- You frequently use certain medications that are recognized to have an impact on your hearing.
- It’s difficult to determine the source of sounds
This checklist is certainly not exhaustive. For example, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. It would be a good plan to follow up on any of these signs.
Routine examinations
But what if, to your knowledge, you haven’t encountered any of these possible signs of hearing impairment? So how frequently should you get your hearing tested? There’s a guideline for everything else, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. Well, yes, there are recommendations.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you should have a hearing assessment. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- If your hearing is healthy, undergo hearing examinations or tests every three years or so. That can be a huge chunk of time to pay attention to, so make sure they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- If you show signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it checked immediately, and then yearly after that.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any warning signs become obvious with regular examinations. The earlier you seek treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing in the long run. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and make an appointment for a hearing test.
