When is it time to get a hearing exam? Here are four signs that you should get your hearing assessed.
I guess my TV is frequently cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. Do you know what my response 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 as of late. And I started to ask myself: should I get a hearing test?
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing assessment. Hearing assessments don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there’s no radiation. You’ve probably just been putting it off.
You should really be more diligent about staying on top of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can affect your general health.
Hearing evaluations are important for many reasons. Even mild hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s virtually impossible to detect early hearing loss without a hearing examination.
So how will you know if you should make an appointment? Here are several ways to know if you need to consult with us.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
If you’ve recently observed any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s probably a smart plan to get a professional hearing exam. Clearly, it’s a strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a difficult time hearing.
But some of the other signs of hearing loss are more subtle:
- You don’t always hear alerts for text messages: Mobile devices are manufactured to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you failed to hear, it’s probably because you didn’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re failing to hear more common sounds.
- Chronic ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which is called tinnitus, is frequently a sign of hearing damage. 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 stop, you should absolutely come see us for a hearing assessment.
- It seems as if people are mumbling when they speak: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you need to worry about, it’s a loss of definition. One of the earlier signs of hearing loss is difficulty following conversations. If you experience this happening more often, you might want to schedule a hearing test.
- It’s hard to hear in noisy locations: Have you ever been to a busy or noisy room and had trouble hearing the conversation because of all the ambient noise? If this seems familiar you could be developing hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first warning signs is the loss of the ability to identify specific sounds.
Here are a few other situations that indicate you should make an appointment for a hearing exam:
- You have an accumulation of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- It’s difficult to pinpoint the origin of sounds
- You frequently use specific medications that are known to have an impact on your hearing.
- Your ear is still plugged after an ear infection
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
This list, clearly, isn’t complete. There are other instances of warning signs (if, for example, the volume on your TV is maxed out and you still want it to go just a little bit louder). But any one of these signs is worth looking into.
Routine checkups
But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t encountered any of these potential symptoms of hearing loss? So how frequently should you get your hearing tested? With all of the other guidelines for everything, this one seems like a no-brainer. There are, in fact, some suggestions.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you should have a hearing assessment. That way, you’ll have a standard of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing seems healthy. That can be a huge chunk of time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re marked in your medical records somewhere.
- If you show signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it assessed right away, and then annually after that.
It will be easier to discover any hearing loss before any warning signs become obvious with regular screenings. You will have a better chance of protecting your hearing over time the sooner you get checked. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and schedule a hearing examination.
