When should you have your hearing tested? Here are four indicators that you should get your hearing checked.
The other day, my kids complained about how loud my television was. Do you know what I said to them? I said, “What”? It was funny. Because it was a joke. But it also wasn’t. I have needed to turn the TV up louder and louder lately. 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’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t have to worry about discomfort. You’ve probably just been putting it on the back-burner.
You should really be more diligent about staying on top of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can impact your general health.
Hearing exams are important for a wide variety of reasons. It’s usually difficult for you to discover the earliest indications of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing loss can impact your health.
So how can you recognize if you should make an appointment? Here are several ways to know if you need to come see us.
You should have your hearing tested if you observe these signs
If you’ve recently experienced any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s probably a smart plan to get a professional hearing screening. Obviously, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty strong indication of hearing loss.
But that’s not the only symptom, and there are some signs of hearing loss that are much less obvious:
- It seems like people are mumbling when they talk: Often, it’s clarity not volume you have to worry about. Difficulty following along with conversations is one of the first signs that something is going bad with your hearing. If you experience this happening more often, you may want to schedule a hearing exam.
- You’re always missing text messages: Mobile devices are manufactured to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you’re constantly missing calls or text messages, it may be because you can’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re failing to hear more everyday sounds.
- Persistent ringing in your ears: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is often a sign of hearing damage. If you’re dealing with some ringing that won’t stop, it might or might not be a sign of hearing loss. But it’s definitely a sign that you should get a hearing exam.
- You have a difficult time hearing when you’re in a noisy environment: Have you ever had a difficult time following along with conversations because of ambient noise in a crowded room? That could actually be an indication of hearing loss. As your hearing goes from healthy to impaired, one of the first signs is the loss of the ability to identify specific sounds.
This list is not thorough, here are a few more:
- You have an accumulation of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- It’s hard to pinpoint the source of sounds
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You regularly use specific medications that are recognized to have an effect on your hearing.
- You experience vertigo
This list is certainly not exhaustive. For example, if your TV’s volume is at max and you still can’t hear it. But any one of these signs is worth looking into.
Routine examinations
But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t experienced any of these possible signs of hearing loss? So how frequently should you have your hearing tested? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are recommendations.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you need to get a hearing assessment. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing appears normal. That can be a long time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re marked in your medical records somewhere.
- If you notice signs of hearing loss, you will want to have it checked immediately, and then annually after that.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any red flags become obvious with routine examinations. The earlier you obtain treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing into the future. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and make an appointment for a hearing assessment.