When should you have your hearing tested? 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. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was a joke. I thought it was funny. But it also wasn’t. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And I began to ask myself: should I have my hearing tested?
There aren’t all that many reasons not to schedule yourself 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 vigilant about staying on top of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can affect your general health.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing evaluations are important. Even mild hearing loss can have an impact on your health and it’s nearly impossible to detect early hearing loss without a hearing assessment.
So how will you know if you should make an appointment? Here are a few ways to know if you need to consult with us.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
If you’ve recently experienced any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s definitely a good idea to get a professional hearing screening. Clearly, it’s a strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a difficult time hearing.
But that’s not the only symptom, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are far less obvious:
- Chronic ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is typically a symptom of hearing damage. Ringing in the ear might or might not point to hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t clear itself up, you should absolutely call us for a hearing evaluation.
- It sounds like everyone’s always mumbling: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you need to be concerned with, it’s a loss of distinction. One of the earlier signs of hearing loss is trouble following conversations. It might be time for a hearing exam if you observe this occurring more and more frequently.
- You don’t always hear alerts for 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 most likely because you didn’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re failing to hear more common sounds.
- It’s tough to hear in noisy places: Have you ever had a hard time keeping up with conversations because of ambient noise in a crowded room? That could actually be an indication of hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first warning signs is the loss of the ability to isolate distinct sounds.
Here are several other situations that show you should schedule a hearing evaluation:
- You regularly use certain medications that are recognized to have an effect on your hearing.
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- Your ears aren’t clearing earwax completely
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
- It’s hard to pinpoint the source of sounds
This list is certainly not exhaustive. There are other examples of warning signs (if, for instance, 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.
Regular checkups
But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t experienced any of these potential signs of hearing loss? So how frequently should you get your hearing tested? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are suggestions.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you need to get a hearing assessment. That way, you’ll have a baseline of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing seems healthy. But be sure you mark these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these long periods of time.
- You’ll want to get checked immediately if you notice any signs of hearing loss and after that once every year.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any red flags become apparent with regular screenings. The earlier you seek treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing into the future. So it’s time to pick up the phone and make an appointment for a hearing examination.
