You totally spaced your hearing exam tomorrow, but that’s not very surprising, you’ve been very busy. It’s a good thing we sent out a reminder text so you should have time to prepare. So how should I get ready?
Hearing tests aren’t like back in college or high school where you’d have to stay up all night to study for an exam. With a hearing exam, it’s more about attempting to remember everything you need to know about your symptoms. Getting the most out of your time with us is what preparing for your hearing test is really about.
Here are 7 easy ways to get prepped and ready!
1. Make a list of your symptoms (and when they manifest)
Hearing loss doesn’t manifest the same way for everyone all the time. There might be some symptoms that are apparent and others that are more subtle. So, before you come in, it’s a good idea to start taking some notes on when your hearing loss is most pronounced. You can write things down like:
- Is having phone conversations difficult? Note times when understanding the person on the other end is harder.
- Do you find yourself losing focus in meetings at work? What time during the day is this most prominent?
- Was it hard to hear the television? How loud is the volume? And do you have a harder time hearing at night?
- Did you have difficulty making out a conversation while eating out in a busy restaurant? Does that occur a lot?
This kind of information is extremely useful for us. Note the day and time of these symptoms if possible. At least note the occurrence of the symptoms if you can’t record the times.
2. Get some information about hearing aids
How much do you really know about hearing aids? You don’t want to make any decisions based on false information you may have heard somewhere. If we tell you a hearing aid would be beneficial, that’s going to be a great moment to ask informed questions.
Knowing what types of hearing devices are out there and what your preferences might be can help speed up the process and help you get better information.
3. Think about your medical past
This is another time when writing something down can help hasten the post-hearing-test-discussion. Write down your medical history before you visit us for your assessment. This should include both major and minor situations. Here are a few examples:
- Medical equipment you might presently use.
- Any history of sickness or disease (you don’t have to note every cold, but anything that sticks out).
- Medications you’re currently taking.
- Allergies and reactions to medications.
- Major or minor surgeries that you have had.
4. Loud noisy settings should be avoided
If you have a hearing exam scheduled and you attend a loud concert the night before, the results will be skewed. Similarly, if you go to an airshow the morning before your exam, the results will not be accurate. The point here is that you need to steer clear of loud noises before you come in for your hearing exam. This will ensure the results are an accurate reflection of the current state of your hearing.
5. Before you come in, check with your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests work together can be… perplexing. If your hearing impairment is related to a medical condition, some insurance plans will cover it. But other plans may not. You will be much more confident at your appointment if you get this all figured out before you come in. In some situations, you can work directly with us to get insurance answers. If we can’t, you will need to speak directly with your insurance company.
6. Bring a friend or family member in with you
There are several considerable advantages to bringing a friend or relative with you to your hearing test, though it’s not absolutely necessary. Here are some of the most prominent benefits:
- You’re likely to go over a lot of info at your appointment. Having a dependable friend or family member with you can help you remember all of that information later.
- Even when you aren’t aware that you have hearing loss, people close to you will absolutely be aware of it. This means that we will have access to even more insight to help make a definitive diagnosis or exam.
7. The results will come fairly quickly
With many medical diagnostics, it could be days or weeks before you get your results. But with a hearing exam, that’s not the situation. With a hearing exam, you will get the results right away.
And even better, we’ll help you understand what your results mean and how you can enhance your overall hearing health. Maybe that’s a hearing aid, maybe it’s some changes to your lifestyle, or some hearing protection. Either way, you’ll know it right away.
So, you don’t have to cram for your hearing exam. But being ready will be helpful, especially for you.