When should you have your hearing tested? Here are four indicators that you should have your hearing tested.
The other day, my kids complained about how loud my television was. 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 ask myself: should I have my hearing tested?
It really doesn’t make much sense to avoid getting a hearing assessment. 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.
You should really be more diligent about keeping track of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can impact your overall health.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing evaluations are important. It’s often challenging for you to discover the earliest signs of hearing loss without one, and even mild hearing loss can impact your health.
So when should you get your hearing tested? Here are several ways to know if you need to consult with us.
Signs you should get a hearing test
If you’ve recently encountered any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s probably a smart idea to get a professional hearing exam. Obviously, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty solid indication of hearing loss.
But some of the other signs of hearing loss are more subtle:
- You have a difficult time hearing when you’re in a noisy environment: Have you ever had a hard time keeping up with conversations because of background noise in a crowded room? That could actually be a sign of hearing loss. As your hearing goes from healthy to impaired, one of the first warning signs is the loss of the ability to identify distinct sounds.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your phone (or mobile device, as they’re called now) is made to be loud. So if you’re constantly missing calls or text messages, it might be because you aren’t hearing them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more common sounds.
- Persistent ringing in your ears: A common 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 stop, 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. Difficulty making out conversations is one of the first signs that something is going wrong with your hearing. If you detect this happening more and more, you may want to schedule a hearing exam.
This list is not exhaustive, here are a few more:
- You have an accumulation of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- You have an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You regularly use certain medications that are known to have an impact on your hearing.
- It’s challenging to determine the source of sounds
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
This checklist, obviously, isn’t extensive. 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 louder). It would be a smart idea to look into any of these symptoms.
Regular checkups
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any symptoms of hearing loss. Is there a guideline for how frequently you should schedule a hearing exam? With all of the other guidelines for everything, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are suggestions.
- Get a baseline assessment done sometime after you’re 21. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- Every three years or so will be a practical schedule if your hearing seems normal. That can be a long 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 checked right away, and then annually after that.
Regular screenings can help you detect hearing loss before any warning signs appear. You will have a better chance of protecting your hearing over time the sooner you get checked. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and schedule a hearing assessment.