How to Know When It’s Time for a Hearing Exam

At what point should you consider getting your hearing assessed? Here are some indications that reveal you should have your hearing tested.

Recently, my children expressed discontent with the high volume of the TV. Do you want to know what I said to them? I said, “What?!” It was meant to be funny. But there’s nothing comical about neglected hearing loss. The volume of the TV has been increasing. And I started to ponder: Should I get a hearing test?

There’s no good reason to avoid scheduling a hearing test. They are non-intrusive, they don’t involve any radiation, and you can be at ease without worries about your comfort level. Simply take a quick moment to book an appointment.

Given the significant effect that neglected hearing loss can have on your general well-being, it’s crucial to be proactive about monitoring your hearing.

You should get your hearing checked if you notice these signs

If you’ve recently experienced any signs of hearing loss, it’s probably a good plan to get a professional hearing assessment. Clearly, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty solid indication of hearing loss.

• Ambient noise can be overwhelming: Have you ever strained to hear a conversation in a loud or crowded space, where the surrounding din makes it tough to hear every word? It’s possible that this might be an indication of impaired hearing.
• It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Sometimes it’s not loss of volume you need to be concerned about, it’s a loss of definition.
• You’re always overlooking text messages: Your phone is designed to be loud. So, if you’re always missing calls or text messages, it could be because you’re noy hearing them.
• Relentless ringing sound: A constant sensation of ringing in your ears, knowned as tinnitus, is often an indication of damage to your hearing.

Here are several other situations that indicate you should schedule a hearing evaluation:

• Your ear hasn’t cleared after an infection
• You have a buildup of earwax you can’t clear by yourself
• You take specific medications that can damage your hearing
• Distinguishing where sounds are coming from can be difficult
• You have vertigo

Regular checkups

Even if you aren’t observing any obvious symptoms, it’s still important to schedule routine hearing exams.

• It is encouraged to have a baseline test completed after reaching the age of 21.
• If your hearing is normal, get hearing assessments every three years.
• If you show symptoms of hearing loss, get it checked immediately and then every year after that.

Routine screenings might detect hearing loss early, before any symptom are evident. Prompt expert attention can considerably increase your chances of maintaining healthy hearing over time. This means you should probably turn your TV down and set up a hearing test.