When is it time to have your hearing checked? You need a hearing test if you have any of these four warning signs.
I guess my TV is frequently 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. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And that got me thinking that maybe it’s time for a hearing assessment.
There aren’t all that many excuses not to schedule yourself for a hearing test. They aren’t invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t have to worry about discomfort. It’s really just that you haven’t made time for it.
Considering how much neglected hearing loss can impact your health, you really should be more diligent about making sure your hearing impairment hasn’t worsened.
Hearing exams are important for a wide variety of reasons. It’s often challenging for you to observe the earliest signs of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing loss can impact your health.
So how can you recognize if you should schedule an appointment? Here are a few ways to tell if you need to come see us.
Signs you should get a hearing test
It’s time to get a professional hearing test if you’ve been experiencing signs of hearing loss recently. Clearly, it’s a powerful indication of hearing loss if you’re having a difficult time hearing.
But some of the other indications of hearing loss are more subtle:
- You have a difficult time hearing when you’re in a loud environment: Have you ever been to a busy or loud room and had difficulty hearing the conversation because of all the background noise? That may actually be a sign of hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first signs is the loss of the ability to isolate distinct sounds.
- It sounds like everybody’s always mumbling: Sometimes, it’s clarity not volume you need to be concerned about. One of the earlier symptoms of hearing loss is difficulty making out conversations. If you detect this happening more and more, you may want to schedule a hearing exam.
- Chronic ringing in your ears: A common sign of injured hearing is a ringing in the ears, also called tinnitus. If you’re dealing with some ringing that won’t stop, it may or may not be a sign of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t clear itself up, you should absolutely call us for a hearing assessment.
- You’re always missing text messages: Mobile devices are manufactured to be loud enough for you to be able to hear. So if you keep noticing 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 might you be missing?
Here are a few other situations that show you should make an appointment for a hearing evaluation:
- You frequently use specific medications that are recognized to have an effect on your hearing.
- You have a buildup of ear wax you’re body can’t clear on your own
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- You can’t easily detect where particular sounds are coming from
This checklist, clearly, is not complete. For instance, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. It would be a smart idea to follow up on any of these symptoms.
Routine examinations
But what if, to your knowledge, you haven’t encountered any of these potential signs of hearing impairment? So how frequently should you get your hearing screened? There’s a guideline for everything else, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. Well, yes, there are recommendations.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you need to have a hearing test. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- If your hearing is normal, have hearing examinations 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 have it assessed immediately, and then annually after that.
Routine screenings can help you identify hearing loss before any red flags surface. The earlier you obtain treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing in the long run. So it’s time to give us a call and schedule a hearing test.
