When is it time to get a hearing exam? Here are four signs that you should get your hearing assessed.
Recently, my kids complained about how loud my TV was. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was humorous. Because it was a joke. But, in reality, it was anything but funny. I have needed to turn the TV up increasingly louder lately. 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 exam. They’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t have to worry about discomfort. It’s really just that you haven’t put aside time to do it.
Considering how much untreated hearing loss can affect your health, you really should be more vigilant about making sure your hearing loss hasn’t gotten worse.
There are lots of good reasons why hearing evaluations are essential. It’s often challenging for you to observe the earliest indications of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing impairment can impact your health.
So when should you get a hearing test? Here are a few ways to know if you need to consult with us.
You should get your hearing tested if you notice these signs
It’s time to get a professional hearing assessment if you’ve been noticing symptoms of hearing loss recently. Naturally, if things are hard to hear, that’s a pretty solid indication of hearing loss.
But that’s not the only symptom, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are much less apparent:
- It’s tough to hear in noisy places: Have you ever been to a crowded or loud room and had difficulty hearing the conversation because of all the ambient noise? If this seems familiar you could be experiencing hearing loss. Being able to identify sounds is one sign of healthy hearing; this ability tends to diminish as hearing loss advances.
- Ringing that won’t go away: A common sign of injured hearing is a ringing in the ears, also called tinnitus. If you’re experiencing some ringing that won’t stop, it might or might not be a sign of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t go away, you should absolutely come see us for a hearing assessment.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your cellphone (or mobile device, as they’re called now) is made to be loud. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you missed, it’s probably because you didn’t hear them. And if you’re unable to hear your mobile device, what else might you be missing?
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Often, it’s clarity not volume you need to be concerned about. One of the earlier indications of hearing loss is difficulty making out conversations. If you notice this happening more often, you might want to make an appointment for a hearing exam.
Here are several other situations that indicate you should schedule a hearing screening:
- You have vertigo
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- It’s difficult to pinpoint the origin of sounds
- You take certain medications that can damage your hearing
- You have a buildup of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
This checklist, clearly, is not thorough. For instance, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. It would be a smart plan to look into any of these signs.
Regular checkups
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any symptoms of hearing loss. Is there a guideline for how frequently you should go get your hearing checked? There’s a guideline for everything, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. There are, actually, some recommendations.
- Get a baseline assessment done sometime after you’re 21. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- Every three years or so will be a practical schedule if your hearing appears healthy. But make sure you note these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these large periods of time.
- You’ll want to get checked right away if you detect any signs of hearing loss and after that once a year.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any red flags become obvious with routine examinations. You will have a better chance of protecting your hearing over time the sooner you get tested. So it’s time to give us a call and make an appointment for a hearing assessment.