When should you get a hearing test? You need a hearing test if you have any of these four warning signs.
I guess my TV is frequently cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was a joke. I thought it was funny. But it also wasn’t. I have needed to turn the TV up increasingly louder lately. And I began to ask myself: should I have my hearing tested?
There aren’t really that many reasons not to make an appointment for a hearing exam. They aren’t invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t need to worry about discomfort. It’s really just that you haven’t put aside time to do it.
Considering how much neglected hearing loss can affect your health, you really should be more vigilant about making sure your hearing impairment hasn’t gotten worse.
There are lots of good reasons why hearing assessments are important. Even mild hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s virtually impossible to detect early hearing loss without a hearing assessment.
So how will you know if you should schedule an appointment? Here are several ways to know if you need to come see us.
You should have your hearing tested if you observe these signs
If you’ve recently observed any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s definitely a good plan to get a professional hearing exam. Naturally, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty strong indication of hearing loss.
But that’s not the only indicator, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are much less apparent:
- It sounds like everyone’s always mumbling: Sometimes, it’s not loss of volume you need to be concerned with, it’s a loss of distinction. Difficulty 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.
- It’s tough to hear in noisy places: Have you ever been to a busy or loud room and had difficulty following the conversation because of all the ambient noise? If this sounds familiar you could be experiencing hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first warning signs is the loss of the ability to isolate distinct sounds.
- You’re always missing text messages: Mobile devices are made to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you’re continuously missing calls or text messages, it might be because you aren’t hearing them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re failing to hear more common sounds.
- Persistent ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is frequently a symptom of hearing damage. If you’re experiencing some ringing that won’t go away, it might or might not be a symptom of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t stop, you should definitely come see us for a hearing assessment.
This list isn’t exhaustive, here are a few more:
- Your ears aren’t removing earwax completely
- You regularly use certain medications that are known to have an effect on your hearing.
- It’s hard to pinpoint the origin of sounds
- You have an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You experience vertigo
This checklist is by no means exhaustive. For instance, if your TV’s volume is at max and you still can’t hear it. It would be a smart idea to look into any of these symptoms.
Regular checkups
But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t experienced any of these potential symptoms of hearing impairment? So how frequently should you get your hearing screened? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. There are, in fact, some recommendations.
- Get a primary test done sometime after you’re 21. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- If your hearing is normal, have hearing examinations or tests every three years or so. That can be a huge chunk of time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- You’ll want to get checked immediately if you detect any signs of hearing loss and after that once every year.
It will be easier to discover any hearing loss before any warning signs become apparent with regular examinations. You will have a better chance of maintaining your hearing over time the sooner you get tested. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and schedule a hearing examination.
