When should you have your hearing tested? Here are four indicators that you should get your hearing checked.
I guess my TV is frequently cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was funny. 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 that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing test.
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing test. They aren’t invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t need to worry about discomfort. It’s really just that you haven’t put aside time to do it.
Considering how much neglected hearing loss can affect 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 recognize early hearing loss without a hearing test.
So when should you have your hearing tested? Here are several ways to tell if you need to come see us.
You should have your hearing tested if you experience these signs
It’s time to get a professional hearing test if you’ve been experiencing symptoms of hearing loss recently. Naturally, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty strong indication of hearing loss.
But some of the other indications of hearing loss are more subtle:
- You don’t always hear alerts for text messages: Your phone (or mobile device, as they’re called now) is designed to be loud. So if you keep finding text messages or calls that you missed, it’s most likely 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 speak: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you need to be concerned with, it’s a loss of definition. Difficulty making out conversations is one of the first signs that something is going wrong with your hearing. It might be time for a hearing exam if you detect this occurring more and more frequently.
- Persistent ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is often a symptom of hearing damage. Ringing in the ear may or may not indicate hearing loss. But it’s certainly an indication that you should get a hearing assessment.
- You have a hard time hearing when you’re in a noisy environment: Have you ever been to a crowded or loud room and had difficulty following the conversation because of all the ambient noise? If this sounds familiar you could be developing hearing loss. Being able to isolate sounds is one sign of a healthy ear; this ability tends to decline as hearing loss advances.
This list isn’t exhaustive, here are a few more:
- You have an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You frequently use certain medications that are known to have an impact on your hearing.
- Your ears are not removing earwax thoroughly
- You have vertigo
- It’s challenging to pinpoint the source of sounds
This list, clearly, is not extensive. 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). It would be a good idea to look into any of these symptoms.
Routine examinations
But how should you deal with it when you’re not sure if you have any symptoms of hearing loss. Is there a guideline for how frequently you should schedule a hearing exam? There’s a guideline for everything else, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. There are, actually, some suggestions.
- Get a primary assessment done sometime after you’re 21. That way, you’ll have a baseline of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a practical schedule if your hearing appears healthy. That can be a long time to pay attention to, so make sure they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- If you show signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it checked right away, and then yearly after that.
Regular screenings can help you discover hearing loss before any warning signs appear. The earlier you find treatment, the better you’ll be able to preserve your hearing into the future. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and make an appointment for a hearing assessment.
