Should I Get a Hearing Test?

When should you schedule a hearing evaluation? Here are a few signs that suggest you should get your hearing checked.

Recently, my children expressed discontent with the high volume of the TV. My answer …” What?!” It was intended to be funny. But there’s nothing funny about untreated hearing loss. The television has been getting louder and louder. And I began to question whether I should schedule a hearing test.

There aren’t many reasons not to schedule a hearing exam. They’re non-intrusive, they don’t involve any radiation, and you can be at ease without concerns about your comfort level. Simply take a quick moment to book an appointment.

Considering how much neglected hearing loss can influence your health, it’s important to be more vigilant about it.

Indications you should get a hearing exam

If you’ve recently noticed any signs of hearing loss, it’s probably a good plan to get a professional hearing screening. Obviously, if things are hard to hear, that’s a rather strong indication of hearing loss.

• It’s difficult to hear in noisy places: Have you ever been to a crowded or noisy space and had difficulty following the conversation because of all the background noise? It’s possible that this could be an indication of impaired hearing.
• It sounds like everyone’s mumbling all the time: In some cases it’s not loss of volume you need to worry about, it’s a loss of clarity.
• You regularly overlook text messages: Your phone is intended to be loud. If you routinely fail to observe incoming calls or texts, the issue may be that you’re not able to hear them.
• Ringing that won’t go away: Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus, is often a sign of hearing damage.

Here are some other situations that suggest you should arrange a hearing evaluation:

• Your ear hasn’t cleared after an infection
• You have an accumulation of earwax you can’t get rid of on your own
• You take specific medications that can harm your hearing
• It is difficult to determine the source of sounds
• You’re experiencing balance issues

Regular checkups

But what if you haven’t recognized any of these indications of hearing loss? Is there a criteria for how often you should have your hearing tested?

• Get a baseline test done at some point after you’re 21.
• If your hearing is healthy, get hearing screenings every three years.
• If you show symptoms of hearing loss, have it checked right away and then annually after that.

Regular screenings may identify hearing loss early, before any symptom are evident. The earlier you seek treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing in the long run. This means you should probably turn your TV down and set up a hearing test.