When is it time to get a hearing exam? You need a hearing exam if you have any of these four signs.
The other day, my kids complained about how loud my television was. You know what I said to them? 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 louder and louder lately. And that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing assessment.
It really doesn’t make much sense to avoid getting a hearing test. They’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t have to worry about discomfort. You’ve most likely just been putting it off.
You should really be more diligent about keeping track of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can affect your overall health.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing evaluations are important. It’s often hard for you to identify the earliest indications of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing impairment can affect your health.
So when should you have a hearing test? Here are some clues that it’s time.
You should have your hearing tested if you notice these signs
It’s time to get a professional hearing test 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 impairment that are much less apparent:
- Chronic ringing in your ears: A typical sign of injured hearing is a ringing in the ears, also called tinnitus. Ringing in the ear might or might not indicate hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t go away, you should definitely call us for a hearing assessment.
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Sometimes, it’s not loss of volume you need to worry about, it’s a loss of distinction. Difficulty making out conversations is one of the first signs that something is going bad with your hearing. It might be time for a hearing assessment if you observe this occurring more and more often.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your phone (or mobile device, as they’re called these days) is designed to be loud. So if you keep finding text messages or calls that you missed, it’s probably because you couldn’t hear them. And if you can’t hear your mobile device, what else are you missing?
- It’s difficult to hear in noisy places: Have you ever had a difficult time keeping up with conversations because of ambient noise in a crowded room? If this sounds familiar you could be developing hearing loss. Being able to identify sounds is one sign of healthy hearing; this ability tends to diminish as hearing loss worsens.
Here are several other circumstances that show you should make an appointment for a hearing exam:
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You have an accumulation of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- You regularly use specific medications that are recognized to have an impact on your hearing.
- It’s hard to pinpoint the source of sounds
This list is certainly not exhaustive. There are other instances of red flags (if, for example, the volume on your TV is maxed out and you still wish it could go just a little bit louder). But any one of these signs is worth looking into.
Routine checkups
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any signs of hearing loss. Is there a guideline for how often you should schedule a hearing exam? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are recommendations.
- Get a primary test done sometime after you’re 21. That way, you’ll have a baseline of your mature hearing.
- If your hearing is normal, have hearing examinations or tests every three years or so. But make sure you note these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these huge periods of time.
- You’ll want to get tested immediately if you detect any signs of hearing loss and after that once a year.
Regular screenings can help you discover hearing loss before any red flags appear. You will have a better chance of preserving your hearing over time the sooner you get tested. So it’s time to give us a call and make an appointment for a hearing assessment.