You totally spaced your hearing exam tomorrow, but that’s not really surprising, you’ve been really busy. Luckily, you just received that reminder text from us, and you still have some time to get ready. So what should I do to get ready?
Hearing tests aren’t like back in college or high school where you’d have to stay up all night to study for a test. Preparing for a hearing exam is more about thinking over your symptoms and making sure you don’t forget anything. In other words, preparing for your hearing test is really about making sure you get as much out of your time with us as possible.
Get prepared with these 7 tips!
1. Create a list of your symptoms (and when they happen)
Hearing loss doesn’t present the same way for everybody all the time. There might be some symptoms that are apparent and others that are more subtle. So take a few notes on when your symptoms are most pronounced before your appointment. You can write things down like:
- Did you have a difficult time hearing the TV? How loud is the volume? And do you have a harder time hearing at night?
- Is talking on the phone difficult? Take note of times when understanding the person on the other end is harder.
- Did you have trouble following a conversation while dining out in a crowded restaurant? Does that occur a lot?
- When you’re in meetings at work, do you lose focus? What time during the day is this most prominent?
This type of information is really useful for us. If you can, note the time and day these instances occurred. At least observe the occurrence of the symptoms if you can’t record the times.
2. Get some info about hearing aids
How much do you actually know about hearing aids? It’s a relevant question because you don’t want to make any decisions based on what you presume. If we tell you a hearing aid would be helpful, that’s would be an ideal time to ask educated questions.
You will get better information and the process will be expedited when you know what kinds of hearing devices are available and determine what your preferences are.
3. Think about your medical past
This is another time when writing things down can help speed up the post-hearing-test-discussion. Write down your medical history before you visit us for your appointment. This should include both major and minor incidents. Here are some examples:
- Illness or diseases you’ve had that stick out in your mind.
- Major or minor surgical procedures that you have undergone.
- Allergies and reactions to medicines.
- What kind of medication you take.
- Medical devices you might currently be using.
4. Loud noisy settings should be avoided
If you have a hearing assessment scheduled and you attend a loud concert the night before, the outcome will be impacted. Similarly, if you go to an airshow the morning before your exam, the results will not be reliable. You can see where we’re going with this: you want to protect your ears from loud noises before your hearing exam. This will ensure the results are a correct reflection of the current health of your hearing.
5. Before your appointment, consult your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests interact can be… confusing. Some plans may cover your hearing exam, especially if it’s related to a medical condition. But other plans might not. It’s a good plan to get all of this squared away before your appointment, so you’re more confident about what you can expect. We can also help you in certain cases. If we can’t, you will have to speak directly with your insurance company.
6. Bring a family member or friend in with you
There are some important advantages to bringing a relative or friend with you to your hearing test, though it’s not entirely necessary. Here are several of the most prominent benefits:
- You’re likely to go over a lot of info during your appointment. When you get home, after the appointment, you will have an easier time recalling all of the information we give you if someone else is there with you.
- You don’t always know when your hearing isn’t working right but it’s a good bet your spouse or partner does! This means that we will have access to even more information to help make a precise diagnosis or exam.
7. The results will come fairly quickly
It may be days or even weeks before you receive the results of many medical diagnostics. But that’s not the situation with a hearing exam. Just like the bubble-sheet tests that were fed through the scantron machine when you were in college, you get your results right away.
And even better, we’ll walk you through what your results mean and how you can enhance your general hearing health. That might mean using some hearing protection or some lifestyle changes or maybe hearing aids. Either way, you’ll know it immediately.
So there’s no need to overthink it. But being prepared will be helpful, particularly for you.