Most hearing loss is subtle initially, and you may not even recognize a change. In fact, it is normally family and friends who tip off someone to their hearing issue. Although children are routinely tested, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Clues You Might Need a Hearing Exam
There are a lot of daily situations where you may 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 background noise in a busy restaurant make it harder to hear and understand conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life leading to disputes?
Such episodes can take place frequently and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Specific Reasons to Have Your Hearing Tested Regularly
According to the standards provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, adults are advised to have a hearing assessment every 10 years before reaching the age of 50. For adults aged 50 and above, it is advised to have a hearing screening every 3 years.
1. Family History
If your family members are dealing with hearing difficulties, it is a good plan to schedule a hearing evaluation with an expert specializing in hearing health.
2. Establish a Reference Point for Your Present Hearing Level
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can determine potential issues or areas for improvement.
You may be missing certain sounds or experiencing subtle hearing problems that could indicate the need for additional evaluations or interventions.
3. Tracks Progress Over Time
Every fresh test will analyze recent data alongside previous tests. Certain changes take place progressively, and the tests will pinpoint any alterations that may not be obvious to you.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
Innovative diagnostic tools now keep track of changes and their rate of advancement, enabling healthcare professionals to recognize and manage issues, such as excessive earwax accumulation or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Pinpoint Medical Conditions
Sometimes hearing loss is a symptom of an intrinsic medical condition like diabetes and high blood pressure (linked to hearing loss and tinnitus), plus cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Managing the underlying medical conditions that are causing it could potentially reduce hearing loss.
6. Decrease Additional Harm
When a patient is without treatment, they can become despondent and fear social settings, inviting solitude and more depression. Elderly people dealing with hearing troubles may be at an increased danger of sustaining injuries due to their inability to hear alert signals such as car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. In addition, untreated hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline and falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
Maybe 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 treated with the suitable hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear more effectively during conversations or work meetings, or simply listen to your child’s laughter or a loved one’s voice.
Contact us if you want to schedule a hearing test or if you think you are experiencing hearing loss.