Most hearing loss is subtle at first, and you might not even notice a change. In fact, it is normally family and friends who tip off somebody to their hearing problem. Although children are routinely tested, many adults do not consider scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Signs You Might Need a Hearing Exam
There are lots of everyday instances where you might not be hearing everything and definitely not hearing what others do.
- Do you often request people to repeat what they said?
- Are you finding yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a busy restaurant make it harder to hear and understand conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life causing disputes?
Such incidents can take place frequently and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Specific Reasons to Have Your Hearing Assessed On A Regular Basis
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines state that adults should get a hearing assessment every 10 years up until age 50, and adults over the age of 50 should have one every 3 years.
1. Family History
If other members of your family have hearing problems, this is an excellent reason to set up a hearing test with a hearing specialist.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
Once you know your hearing ability in each ear, you become aware of any issues.
There are sounds you may not be hearing and impairments that may require further evaluations or treatments.
3. Tracks Progress Over Time
Each new test will compare new information with previous assessments. Some changes happen slowly, and the tests will identify any changes even if you don’t.
4. Assists in Identifying and Managing Issues at an Early Stage
Innovative diagnostic tools now keep track of fluctuations and their rate of advancement, allowing healthcare professionals to recognize and manage problems, such as excessive earwax build-up or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Diagnose Medical Conditions
In some cases, hearing loss can be a sign of a more serious root health problem, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, all of which have been linked to hearing problems and tinnitus. Treating the root medical conditions that are causing it could possibly reduce hearing loss.
6. Decrease Additional Harm
When a patient is without treatment, they can become depressed and fear social situations, inviting isolation and more depression. Seniors who have hearing problems can have increased accidents when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that mean danger. In addition, untreated hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
Perhaps you have suspected you have a hearing loss. You now have the information you need, including the understanding that hearing aids can have a positive effect on numerous areas of your life, enhancing not only your ability to hear, but also your connections with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
Once your hearing loss is managed with the appropriate hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear more efficiently during discussions or work meetings, or simply listen to your child’s laughter or a family member’s voice.
Contact us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are experiencing hearing loss.