When is it time to get a hearing exam? Here are four clues that you should have your hearing tested.
Recently, my kids complained about how loud my television was. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was a joke. I thought it was funny. But it also wasn’t. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And I started to ask myself: should I have my hearing tested?
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing assessment. They aren’t invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t need to worry about discomfort. You’ve probably just been putting it on the back-burner.
Considering how much neglected hearing loss can impact 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 important. Even mild hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s nearly impossible to identify early hearing loss without a hearing test.
So when should you have your hearing tested? Here are a few ways to tell if you need to come see us.
You should get your hearing tested if you experience these signs
It’s time to get a professional hearing test if you’ve been noticing signs of hearing loss recently. 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 loss that are far less obvious:
- Ringing that won’t go away: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is typically a symptom of hearing damage. Ringing in the ear may or may not indicate hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t go away, you should definitely come see us for a hearing test.
- It’s tough to hear in noisy places: Have you ever been to a busy or noisy room and had trouble hearing the conversation because of all the ambient noise? That could actually be an indication of hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first signs is the loss of the ability to isolate specific sounds.
- You’re always missing text messages: Mobile devices are made to be loud enough for you to be able to hear. So if you keep finding text messages or calls that you failed to hear, it’s probably because you didn’t hear them. And if you’re unable to hear your mobile device, what else are you missing?
- It seems like people are mumbling when they talk: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you have to worry about, it’s a loss of definition. Difficulty following along with conversations is one of the first signs that something is going bad with your hearing. If you notice this happening more often, you may want to schedule a hearing exam.
Here are some other situations that show you should schedule a hearing exam:
- You take certain medications that can harm your hearing
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You can’t readily identify where particular sounds are coming from
- Your ears are not clearing earwax completely
This checklist is certainly not exhaustive. For instance, if your TV’s volume is at max and you still can’t hear it. It would be a good idea to look into any of these signs.
Routine examinations
But how should you cope with it when you’re not certain if you have any signs of hearing loss. So how often should you get your hearing tested? There’s a guideline for everything, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. There are, in fact, some recommendations.
- Get a baseline exam done sometime after you’re 21. That way, you’ll have a standard of your mature hearing.
- If your hearing is normal, have hearing examinations or tests every three years or so. But be sure you note these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these large periods of time.
- If you notice signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it tested right away, and then annually after that.
Routine screenings can help you identify hearing loss before any red flags surface. The earlier you obtain treatment, the better you’ll be able to preserve your hearing into the future. So it’s time to give us a call and make an appointment for a hearing assessment.