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

When should you schedule a hearing assessment? Here are some indications you need to have your hearing checked.

Recently, 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 television has been getting louder and louder. And I began to ponder: Should I get a hearing exam?

There’s no good reason to avoid scheduling a hearing test. They aren’t invasive, there’s no radiation, and you don’t have to feel uneasy about discomfort. You just need to take a brief minute to book an appointment.

Thinking about how much neglected hearing loss can influence your health, it’s important to be more cautious about it.

Indications you should get a hearing test

If you’ve recently noticed 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 fairly strong indication of hearing loss.

• Ambient noise can be overwhelming: Have you ever struggled to hear a conversation in a loud or crowded setting, where the surrounding din makes it difficult to catch every word? That could be a sign of hearing loss.
• It sounds like everyone’s mumbling all the time: Sometimes it’s not loss of volume you need to worry about, it’s a loss of clarity.
• You often miss text messages: Your phone is designed to be loud. If you regularly fail to notice incoming calls or texts, the issue may be that you’re not able to hear them.
• Persistent ringing sound: A continuous sensation of ringing in your ears, referred to as tinnitus, is frequently an indication of damage to your hearing.

Other indications you should make an appointment for a hearing test:

• Your ear hasn’t cleared after an infection
• Surplus earwax has accumulated and can not be removed by self-cleaning methods
• You take certain medications that can damage your hearing
• It is difficult to identify the source of sounds
• You have vertigo

Routine hearing evaluations

Even if you’re not experiencing any obvious symptoms, it’s still important to schedule routine hearing exams.

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

Regular screenings might identify hearing loss early, before any warning signs are evident. The sooner you get treatment, the better you’ll be able to preserve your hearing in the long run. This means you should probably turn your TV down and set up a hearing test.