Hearing loss frequently begins with slight, almost unperceivable changes that can be easy to overlook. Often, it is loved ones who are the first to recognize and bring awareness to a person’s hearing trouble. Although children are regularly assessed, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing test like they would for their vision.
Indications That You May Require a Hearing Assessment
All through the day, there are many occasions when you might miss certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Are you frequently asking people to repeat what they said?
- Are you finding yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a busy restaurant make it more difficult to hear and comprehend conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life causing disputes?
Such episodes can occur regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Specific Reasons Why You Should Have Your Hearing Assessed Regularly
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association standards state that adults should get a hearing screening every 10 years up until age 50, and adults over the age of 50 should get one every 3 years.
1. Genetic makeup
If other members of your family have hearing issues, this is an excellent reason to set up a hearing test with a hearing professional.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can pinpoint potential issues or areas for improvement.
There are sounds you may not be hearing and impairments that might indicate further tests or treatments.
3. Helps Measure Future Changes
Every new test will compare new information with past tests. Some changes occur slowly, and the tests will recognize any changes even if you don’t.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
Innovative diagnostic tools now monitor fluctuations and their rate of advancement, allowing healthcare professionals to identify and address issues, like excessive earwax accumulation or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Diagnose Medical Conditions
In some instances, hearing loss can be a sign of a more significant underlying health problem, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, all of which have been linked to hearing problems and tinnitus. Managing the root medical conditions that are causing it could potentially alleviate hearing loss.
6. Stop Further Damage
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become depressed and fear social settings, inviting solitude and more depression. Seniors who have hearing issues can have increased accidents when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that mean danger. Furthermore, research has revealed a connection between unaddressed hearing loss and an elevated risk of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
Perhaps you have suspected you have a hearing loss. You now have the information you need, including the awareness that hearing aids can have a positive effect on multiple areas of your life, improving not only your ability to hear, but also your relationships with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
After getting the correct hearing aids to address your hearing loss, you will experience enhanced hearing ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of your child’s laughter or a family member’s voice.
Reach out to us to set up a hearing assessment or if you’re concerned that you may be experiencing hearing difficulties.
