When is it time to have your hearing checked? Here are four clues that you should have your hearing tested.
I guess my TV is regularly cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. Do 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 progressively louder. And that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing test.
There aren’t really that many excuses not to schedule yourself for a hearing exam. Hearing tests don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there isn’t any radiation. 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 untreated, it can affect your overall health.
There are lots of good reasons why hearing evaluations are important. Even slight hearing loss can have an impact on your health and it’s almost impossible to recognize early hearing loss without a hearing assessment.
So how can you recognize if you should make an appointment? Here are several ways to tell if you need to consult with us.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
If you’ve recently observed any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s definitely a smart plan to get a professional hearing screening. Clearly, it’s a strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a hard time hearing.
But that’s not the only indicator, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are much less obvious:
- Ringing that won’t clear itself up: A typical sign of damaged hearing is a ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. If you’re experiencing some ringing that won’t go away, it might or might not be a sign of hearing loss. But it’s certainly a sign that you should schedule a hearing exam.
- You have a tough time hearing when you’re in a loud environment: Have you ever had a difficult time following along with conversations because of ambient noise in a crowded room? 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 identify specific sounds.
- You don’t always hear alerts for text messages: Your cellphone (or mobile device, as they’re called these days) is designed to be loud. So if you’re constantly missing calls or text messages, it might be because you aren’t hearing them. And maybe, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more everyday sounds.
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you have to be concerned with, it’s a loss of definition. Difficulty following along with conversations is one of the first signs that something is going wrong with your hearing. It may be time for a hearing test if you detect this occurring more and more often.
Here are a few other situations that indicate you should make an appointment for a hearing screening:
- Your ears aren’t removing earwax completely
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- It’s challenging to pinpoint the source of sounds
- You take specific medications that can damage your hearing
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
This checklist is in no way exhaustive. There are other instances of warning signs (if, for instance, the volume on your TV is maxed out and you still wish it could go just a little louder). But any one of these signs is worth looking into.
Routine checkups
But how should you cope with it when you’re not sure if you have any signs of hearing loss. Is there a guideline for how frequently you should go get your hearing checked? There’s a guideline for everything, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. There are, in fact, some suggestions.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you should have 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 sure they’re marked in your medical records somewhere.
- You’ll want to get tested right away if you detect 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 obvious with regular examinations. You will have a better chance of protecting your hearing over time the sooner you get tested. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and make an appointment for a hearing assessment.