When is it time to get a hearing exam? You need a hearing exam if you have any of these four warning signs.
I guess my TV is regularly cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. Do you know what my response was? I said, “What”? It was humorous. Because it was a joke. But it also wasn’t. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And I began to wonder: should I get a hearing test?
There aren’t really that many excuses not to make an appointment for a hearing test. They’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t have to worry about discomfort. You’ve probably just been putting it off.
You should really be more vigilant about keeping track of your hearing because, if left untreated, it can impact your general health.
There are lots of good reasons why hearing evaluations are essential. It’s often difficult for you to observe the earliest signs of hearing loss without one, and even mild hearing loss can impact your health.
So when should you get a hearing test? Here are a few ways to know if you need to consult with us.
Signs you should get a hearing test
If you’ve recently experienced any of the signs of hearing loss, it’s definitely a smart plan to get a professional hearing exam. Obviously, 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:
- It sounds like everybody’s always mumbling: Often, it’s clarity not volume you have to worry about. One of the earlier symptoms of hearing loss is difficulty making out conversations. It may be time for a hearing screening if you observe this occurring more and more often.
- It’s tough to hear in noisy locations: Have you ever been to a crowded or noisy space and had trouble following the conversation because of all the ambient noise? If this seems familiar you could be experiencing hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first warning signs is the loss of the ability to isolate specific sounds.
- You always miss alerts for text messages: Your phone (or mobile device, as they’re called now) is made to be loud. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you failed to hear, it’s most likely because you couldn’t hear them. And if you can’t hear your mobile device, what else are you missing?
- 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 point to hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t go away, you should absolutely call us for a hearing assessment.
This list is not exhaustive, here are a few more:
- Your ears aren’t removing earwax thoroughly
- You can’t easily identify where particular sounds are originating
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- 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.
This checklist is in no way exhaustive. There are other examples of red flags (if, for instance, the volume on your TV is maxed out and you still wish it could go just a little bit louder). It would be a good idea to follow up on any of these signs.
Routine checkups
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any symptoms of hearing loss. So how often should you have your hearing tested? There’s a guideline for everything, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. Well, yes, there are recommendations.
- Get a baseline exam done sometime after you’re 21. That way, you’ll have a standard of your mature hearing.
- If your hearing is normal, have hearing screenings or tests every three years or so. That can be a huge chunk of time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re marked in your medical records somewhere.
- If you show signs of hearing loss, you will want to get it tested right away, and then annually after that.
Regular screenings can help you identify hearing loss before any warning signs surface. The earlier you seek treatment, the better you’ll be able to protect your hearing into the future. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and make an appointment for a hearing examination.