When should you get a hearing test? You need a hearing exam if you have any of these four signs.
The other day, my kids complained about how loud my TV was. Do you know what my response was? I said, “What”? It was a joke. I thought it was amusing. But it also wasn’t. I have needed to turn the TV up louder and louder as of late. And I began to wonder: should I have my hearing tested?
There aren’t really that many excuses not to make an appointment for a hearing exam. Hearing assessments don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there isn’t any radiation. It’s really just that you haven’t made time for it.
Considering how much neglected hearing loss can affect your health, you really should be more diligent about making sure your hearing loss hasn’t worsened.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing assessments are essential. Even mild hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s almost impossible to identify early hearing loss without a hearing examination.
So when should you get your hearing tested? Here are a few ways to tell if you need to come see us.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
It’s time to get a professional hearing assessment if you’ve been experiencing symptoms of hearing loss recently. Clearly, it’s a powerful indication of hearing loss if you’re having a hard time hearing.
But that’s not the only indicator, and there are some signs of hearing loss that are far less apparent:
- Persistent ringing in your ears: A common sign of injured hearing is a ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. 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 go away, you should absolutely call us for a hearing evaluation.
- You have a hard time hearing when you’re in a loud setting: Have you ever been to a crowded or noisy room and had trouble hearing the conversation because of all the background noise? If this seems familiar you could be developing hearing loss. As your hearing goes from healthy to impaired, one of the first signs is the loss of the ability to isolate specific sounds.
- It sounds like everybody’s always mumbling: Sometimes, it’s clarity not volume you have to worry about. One of the earlier symptoms of hearing loss is difficulty following conversations. If you experience this happening more and more, you might want to schedule a hearing test.
- You don’t always hear alerts for text messages: Your cellphone (or mobile device, as they’re called these days) is designed to be loud. So if you’re continuously missing calls or text messages, it might be because you can’t hear them. And if you can’t hear your mobile device, what else are you missing?
Here are some other circumstances that show you should make an appointment for a hearing evaluation:
- Your ears are not removing earwax thoroughly
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t go away
- It’s challenging to determine the source of sounds
- You frequently use certain medications that are known to have an effect on your hearing.
This list is by no means exhaustive. For instance, if your TV’s volume is at max and you still can’t hear it. It would be a good plan to look into any of these symptoms.
Routine examinations
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any signs of hearing loss. So how frequently should you get your hearing checked? There’s a guideline for everything, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. Well, yes, there are recommendations.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you need to get a hearing test. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- Every three years or so will be a practical schedule if your hearing appears normal. That can be a long time to pay attention to, so make sure they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- You’ll want to get assessed right away if you notice any signs of hearing loss and after that once every year.
It will be easier to uncover any hearing loss before any warning signs become obvious with routine examinations. You will have a better chance of preserving your hearing over time the sooner you get examined. So it’s time to pick up the phone and schedule a hearing test.