At what point should you consider getting your hearing evaluated? Here are a few signs that suggest you should get your hearing tested.
The other day, my kids complained about how loud my TV was. Do you want to know what I said to them? I said, “What?!” It was amusing because it was a joke. But there’s nothing comical about neglected hearing loss. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And I started to question whether I should set up a hearing test.
There aren’t many good reasons not to set up a hearing test. They’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, and you don’t have to worry about discomfort. You just need to take a brief moment to schedule an appointment.
Thinking about how much untreated hearing loss can influence your health, it’s important to be more cautious about it.
Signs you should get a hearing test
If you’ve recently noticed any signs of hearing loss, it’s most likely a good plan to get a professional hearing assessment. Clearly, if things are hard to hear, that’s a fairly strong indication of hearing loss.
- Ambient noise can be overpowering: Have you ever struggled to focus on a conversation in a noisy or crowded setting, where the surrounding racket makes it hard to catch every word? It’s possible that this could be an indication of impaired hearing.
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: In some cases it’s not loss of volume you need to worry about, it’s a loss of clarity.
- You’re always missing 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.
- Ringing that won’t go away: Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus, is often a sign of hearing damage.
Here are a few other scenarios that indicate you should schedule a hearing evaluation:
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an infection
- You have an accumulation of earwax you can’t remove by yourself
- You take certain medications that can harm your hearing
- It is difficult to identify the source of sounds
- You’re experiencing balance issues
Regular checkups
Even if you’re not experiencing any obvious symptoms, it’s still important to schedule regular hearing tests.
- It is recommended to have a baseline test completed after reaching the age of 21.
- For individuals with typical hearing, it’s recommended to have a hearing evaluation every three years.
- If you display symptoms of hearing loss, have it evaluated right away and then every year afterwards.
Regular screenings might detect hearing loss early, before any symptom are noticeable. The earlier you get treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing in the long run. So you should lower the volume on your television and think about aranging a hearing assessment.