You’re a pretty busy person, so it’s reasonable that you completely forgot about the hearing test you have scheduled for tomorrow. Thankfully, you just got that reminder text from us, and you still have a few hours to prepare. So… what should you do?
Hearing tests aren’t like those days in college or high school where you’d have to pull an all-nighter to study for a test. Getting ready for a hearing test is more about thinking over your symptoms and making certain you don’t forget anything. In other words, preparing for your hearing test is really about ensuring you get as much out of your time with us as possible.
Get prepared with these 7 tips!
1. List out all of your symptoms and when they manifest
The symptoms of hearing loss differ from person to person and at different times. There may be some symptoms that are apparent and others that are more discreet. So, before your appointment, it’s a good plan to start taking a few notes on when your hearing loss is most significant. Some things you can write down include:
- When you’re out in a crowded restaurant, do you struggle to keep up with conversations? If so, how often does that happen?
- Did you have a hard time hearing the TV? Do you have it turned way up? And do you have a more difficult time hearing at night?
- Do you find yourself losing focus in meetings at work? What time during the day is this most prevalent?
- Is it a challenge to carry on conversations on the phone? Record times when it’s harder to hear people than normal.
This kind of information is extremely useful for us. Take note of the day and time of these symptoms if possible. If you can’t, just note that they did happen.
2. Research hearing aids
How accurate is your knowledge about hearing aids? You don’t want to make any decisions based on false information you may have heard somewhere. An ideal time to get some accurate info is when we advise you that hearing aids would help you.
Knowing what kinds of hearing devices are available and what your preferences might be can help speed up the process and help you get better information.
3. Go over your medical history
This one will also help the process go smoother after your appointment. Before you come in, you should take a little time to write down your medical history. Include major medical occurrences and also minor ones. Here are some examples:
- Medication interactions and allergies.
- Medical devices you might currently use.
- What kind of medication you take.
- Any history of sickness or disease (you don’t have to note every cold, but anything that sticks out).
- Operations you’ve had, both major or minor.
4. Loud noisy environments should be avoided
If you have a hearing exam scheduled and you go to a loud concert the night before, the results will be impacted. Similarly, if you check-out an airshow the morning before your exam, the results will not be correct. You can see where we’re going with this: you want to protect your ears from loud noises before your hearing assessment. This will help ensure your results are reliable and reveal your current hearing health.
5. Before your appointment, consult your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests interact can be… perplexing. If your hearing loss is part of a medical problem, some insurance plans will cover it. But not all plans will. You will be a great deal more confident at your appointment if you get this all figured out before you come in. In some instances, you can work directly with us to get answers about insurance. If we can’t, you will need to speak directly with your insurance company.
6. Ask somebody to come with you
There are several significant benefits to bringing a relative or friend with you to your hearing exam, though it’s not absolutely necessary. amongst the most prominent benefits are the following:
- You’re likely to cover a lot of information at your appointment. Later, after the appointment, you will have an easier time recalling all of the information we give you if somebody else is there with you.
- Even when you aren’t aware that you have hearing loss, people close to you will absolutely be aware of it. This means that we will have access to even more information to help make a precise diagnosis or exam.
7. Be ready for your results
With many medical diagnostics, it could be days or weeks before you get your results. But that’s not the situation with a hearing test. Similar to the bubble-sheet tests that got fed through the scantron machine when you were in college, you get your results immediately.
And what’s even better, we’ll show you how you can improve your overall hearing health and help you understand the meaning of your results. That might mean using some ear protection or some lifestyle changes or maybe hearing aids. Either way, you’ll know it right away.
So you don’t have to overthink it. But it is helpful, mostly for you, to be prepared!
