When should you have your hearing tested? Here are four clues that you should get your hearing checked.
Recently, my kids complained about how loud my TV was. And guess what my reply was. 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 as of late. And I began to wonder: should I have my hearing tested?
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing test. Hearing tests don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there isn’t any radiation. You’ve probably just been putting it on the back-burner.
Considering how much untreated hearing loss can impact your health, you really should be more diligent about making sure your hearing loss hasn’t worsened.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing evaluations are important. It’s often difficult for you to observe the earliest signs of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing impairment can affect your health.
So when should you get your hearing tested? Here are some signs that it’s time.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
It’s time to get a professional hearing test if you’ve been experiencing symptoms of hearing loss recently. Clearly, it’s a strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a hard time hearing.
But some of the other indications of hearing loss are more subtle:
- You have a tough time hearing when you’re in a noisy setting: Have you ever had a difficult time following along with conversations because of ambient noise in a busy room? That may actually be a sign of hearing loss. Being able to isolate sounds is one sign of healthy hearing; this ability tends to diminish as hearing loss worsens.
- It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Sometimes, it’s not loss of volume you need 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 might be time for a hearing test if you observe this happening more and more often.
- You don’t always hear alerts for text messages: Mobile devices are made to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you missed, it’s probably because you couldn’t hear them. And if you’re unable to hear your mobile device, what else might you be missing?
- 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 experiencing some ringing that won’t stop, it might or might not be a sign of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t stop, you should definitely call us for a hearing assessment.
Here are some other circumstances that indicate you should schedule a hearing evaluation:
- You can’t readily detect where specific sounds are originating
- You have a buildup of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- you’re experiencing an ear infection and it won’t clear up
- You experience vertigo
- You regularly use certain medications that are recognized to have an impact on your hearing.
This checklist is by no means exhaustive. For instance, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. But any one of these signs is worth following up on.
Routine checkups
But how should you deal with it when you’re not certain if you have any signs of hearing loss. So how frequently should you have your hearing checked? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are suggestions.
- Get a primary test done sometime after you’re 21. That way, you’ll have a standard of your mature hearing.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing appears healthy. But make sure you note these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these huge periods of time.
- You’ll want to get checked right away if you notice any signs of hearing loss and after that once every year.
Routine screenings can help you detect hearing loss before any warning signs surface. The earlier you find treatment, the better you’ll be able to maintain your hearing in the long run. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and make an appointment for a hearing test.