When should you get a hearing test? Here are four clues that you should get your hearing assessed.
I guess my TV is frequently cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. You know what my response was? I said, “What”? It was funny. Because it was a joke. But, in some ways, it was anything but funny. I have needed to turn the TV up increasingly louder lately. And I began to ask myself: should I have my hearing tested?
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing assessment. Hearing tests don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there isn’t any radiation. It’s really just that you haven’t made time for 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 worsened.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing assessments are essential. Even mild hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s virtually impossible to identify early hearing loss without a hearing examination.
So how can you recognize if you should schedule an appointment? Here are some signs that it’s time.
You should have your hearing tested if you experience these signs
If you’ve recently experienced 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 symptom, and there are some signs of hearing loss that are much less obvious:
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you have to worry about, it’s a loss of definition. One of the earlier symptoms of hearing loss is trouble making out conversations. If you detect this happening more often, you might want to make an appointment for a hearing exam.
- It’s difficult to hear in noisy locations: Have you ever been to a crowded or loud room and had difficulty hearing the conversation because of all the background noise? That could actually be a sign of hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first signs is the loss of the ability to identify distinct sounds.
- Ringing that won’t subside: A typical sign of injured hearing is a ringing in the ears, also called tinnitus. If you’re experiencing some ringing that won’t go away, it may or may not be a symptom of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t stop, you should absolutely come see us for a hearing assessment.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your phone (or mobile device, as they’re called these days) is made to be loud. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you missed, it’s most likely because you couldn’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re failing to hear more everyday sounds.
Here are a few other circumstances that indicate you should make an appointment for a hearing exam:
- You experience vertigo
- Your ears are not removing earwax completely
- You can’t easily identify where particular sounds are originating
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
- You take specific medications that can harm your hearing
This list, obviously, is not thorough. For instance, if your TV’s volume is at max and you still can’t hear it. It would be a good idea to follow up on any of these signs.
Regular examinations
But what if, to your knowledge, you haven’t experienced any of these possible symptoms of hearing impairment? So how often should you have your hearing checked? With all of the other guidelines for everything, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are suggestions.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you should get a hearing assessment. That way, you’ll have a baseline of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing appears normal. That can be a long time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- If you notice signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it assessed right away, and then yearly after that.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any red flags become apparent with regular examinations. You will have a better chance of maintaining your hearing over time the sooner you get tested. So it’s time to give us a call and schedule a hearing test.
