When should you get a hearing test? Here are four signs that you should get your hearing assessed.
I guess my TV is regularly turned up to the point where my kids recently complained. And guess what I said. 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 that got me thinking that maybe it’s time for a hearing test.
There aren’t all that many excuses not to make an appointment for a hearing test. Hearing assessments don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there’s no radiation. It’s really just that you haven’t made time for it.
You should really be more diligent about keeping track of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can affect your general health.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing assessments are important. It’s often difficult for you to discover the earliest signs of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing impairment can affect your health.
So when should you have a hearing test? Here are a few ways to know if you need to come see us.
You should get your hearing tested if you observe these signs
If you’ve recently observed any of the signs of hearing loss, it’s probably a good idea to get a professional hearing exam. Obviously, if things are hard to hear, that’s a pretty strong indication of hearing loss.
But that’s not the only symptom, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are far less obvious:
- Ringing that won’t subside: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is typically a sign of hearing damage. If you’re dealing with some ringing that won’t go away, it might or might not be a sign of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t go away, you should definitely call us for a hearing test.
- You always miss alerts for text messages: Mobile devices are manufactured to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you’re constantly missing calls or text messages, it might be because you can’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re failing to hear more common sounds.
- It seems as if people are mumbling when they speak: Sometimes, it’s not loss of volume you have to be concerned with, it’s a loss of definition. Trouble following along with conversations is one of the first signs that something is going bad with your hearing. If you notice this happening more often, you may want to make an appointment for a hearing test.
- It’s difficult to hear in noisy locations: Have you ever been to a busy or noisy space and had difficulty 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 identify specific sounds.
This list isn’t exhaustive, here are a few more:
- You have a buildup of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- You regularly use specific medications that are known to have an impact on your hearing.
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- It’s hard to pinpoint the source of sounds
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t clear up
This list is in no way exhaustive. There are other examples of warning signs (if, for example, the volume on your TV is maxed out and you still want it to go just a little louder). But any one of these signs is worth looking into.
Routine examinations
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any symptoms of hearing loss. So how frequently should you get your hearing checked? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. There are, actually, some recommendations.
- Get a primary exam done sometime after you’re 21. That way, you’ll have a baseline of your mature hearing.
- If your hearing is healthy, have hearing screenings or tests every three years or so. But make sure you mark these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these long periods of time.
- If you show signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it assessed immediately, and then yearly after that.
It will be easier to discover any hearing loss before any warning signs become apparent with regular screenings. You will have a better chance of protecting your hearing over time the sooner you get tested. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and schedule a hearing assessment.