When should you get a hearing test? You need a hearing test if you have any of these four warning signs.
Recently, my kids complained about how loud my television was. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was humorous. Because it was a joke. But it also wasn’t. I have needed to turn the TV up louder and louder as of late. And I began to ask myself: should I get a hearing test?
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing assessment. They’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t need to worry about discomfort. You’ve probably just been putting it on the back-burner.
You should really be more diligent about keeping track of your hearing because, if left untreated, it can impact your overall health.
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 nearly impossible to recognize early hearing loss without a hearing test.
So when should you have a hearing test? Here are several ways to know if you need to come see us.
You should get your hearing tested if you observe 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 strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a difficult time hearing.
But some of the other signs of hearing loss are more subtle:
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Often, it’s clearness not volume you need to be concerned about. One of the earlier indications of hearing loss is difficulty making out conversations. It may be time for a hearing assessment if you detect this happening more and more often.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your cellphone (or mobile device, as they’re called these days) is made to be loud. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you failed to hear, it’s probably because you didn’t hear them. And if you’re unable to hear your mobile device, what else might you be missing?
- Chronic ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is often a sign of hearing damage. Ringing in the ear may or may not point to hearing loss. But it’s definitely a sign that you should schedule a hearing test.
- It’s difficult to hear in noisy places: Have you ever had a hard time following along with conversations because of ambient noise in a busy room? That may actually be a sign of hearing loss. Being able to identify sounds is one indication of a healthy ear; this ability tends to decline as hearing loss progresses.
Here are some other circumstances that show you should make an appointment for a hearing screening:
- You have vertigo
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an infection
- You regularly use specific medications that are recognized to have an impact on your hearing.
- You can’t easily determine where particular sounds are originating
- You have an accumulation of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
This checklist is certainly not exhaustive. For example, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. It would be a good idea to look into any of these signs.
Regular checkups
But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t experienced any of these possible signs of hearing impairment? Is there a guideline for how often you should schedule a hearing exam? 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 should have a hearing test. That way, you’ll have a standard of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing appears normal. 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 assessed right away if you detect any signs of hearing loss and after that once every year.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any warning signs become apparent with regular screenings. The earlier you find treatment, the better you’ll be able to preserve your hearing in the long run. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and schedule a hearing test.