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 TV was. And guess what I said. I said, “What”? It was a joke. I thought it was amusing. But, in some ways, it was anything but funny. The TV has been getting progressively louder. And that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing test.
It really doesn’t make much sense to avoid getting a hearing test. Hearing tests don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there’s no radiation. You’ve most likely 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 affect your general health.
Hearing assessments are important for a wide variety of reasons. Even slight hearing loss can have an impact on your health and it’s virtually impossible to identify early hearing loss without a hearing test.
So how can you recognize if you should make an appointment? Here are some signs that it’s time.
Signs you should get a hearing test
It’s time to get a professional hearing test if you’ve been experiencing symptoms of hearing loss recently. Obviously, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty strong indication of hearing loss.
But some of the other signs of hearing loss are more subtle:
- Ringing that won’t go away: A common 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 it’s definitely an indication that you should get a hearing test.
- It sounds like everybody’s always mumbling: Sometimes, it’s not loss of volume you need to be concerned with, it’s a loss of distinction. Trouble making out conversations is one of the first signs that something is going wrong with your hearing. It might be time for a hearing assessment if you detect this occurring more and more often.
- You have a hard time hearing when you’re in a loud setting: Have you ever been to a busy or noisy space and had difficulty hearing the conversation because of all the ambient noise? If this sounds familiar you could be experiencing 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.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your phone (or mobile device, as they’re called now) is made to be loud. So if you keep finding text messages or calls that you missed, it’s most likely because you couldn’t hear them. And maybe, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more everyday sounds.
Here are some other situations that indicate you should make an appointment for a hearing exam:
- You have a buildup of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- You frequently use certain medications that are known to have an effect on your hearing.
- It’s challenging to pinpoint the origin of sounds
- You have vertigo
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t go away
This checklist, obviously, is not thorough. For instance, if your TV’s volume is at max and you still can’t hear it. But any one of these signs is worth following up on.
Regular checkups
But how should you cope with it when you’re not certain if you have any signs of hearing loss. So how often should you have your hearing checked? With all of the other guidelines for everything, this one seems like a no-brainer. There are, in fact, some suggestions.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you should have a hearing test. That way, you’ll have a baseline of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a practical schedule if your hearing appears 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.
- If you notice signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it assessed immediately, and then yearly after that.
It will be easier to uncover any hearing loss before any red flags become apparent with routine examinations. You will have a better chance of preserving your hearing over time the sooner you get checked. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and make an appointment for a hearing test.
