When should you have your hearing tested? You need a hearing test if you have any of these four warning signs.
Recently, my kids complained about how loud my television was. You know what my response was? I said, “What”? It was funny. Because it was a joke. But, in some ways, it was anything but funny. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And I started to ask myself: should I get a hearing test?
There aren’t all that many excuses not to schedule yourself for a hearing exam. 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 off.
Considering how much untreated hearing loss can affect your health, you really should be more diligent about making sure your hearing impairment hasn’t worsened.
Hearing exams are essential for many reasons. It’s usually challenging for you to discover the earliest indications of hearing loss without one, and even mild hearing loss can impact your health.
So when should you have your hearing tested? Here are some clues that it’s time.
You should get your hearing tested if you notice these signs
If you’ve recently observed any of the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s probably a smart idea to get a professional hearing screening. Clearly, it’s a powerful indication of hearing loss if you’re having a hard time hearing.
But some of the other indications of hearing loss are more subtle:
- Chronic ringing in your ears: A common sign of injured hearing is a ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. Ringing in the ear may or may not point to hearing loss. But it’s certainly a sign that you should get a hearing test.
- It sounds like everyone’s mumbling all the time: In some cases, it’s not loss of volume you have to be concerned with, it’s a loss of distinction. Difficulty making out conversations is one of the first signs that something is going bad with your hearing. If you experience this happening more and more, you may want to make an appointment for a hearing test.
- You have a hard time hearing when you’re in a noisy environment: Have you ever had a hard time keeping up with conversations because of ambient noise in a busy room? That could actually be an indication of hearing loss. Being able to isolate sounds is one indication of a healthy ear; this ability tends to diminish as hearing loss progresses.
- You’re always missing text messages: Your cellphone (or mobile device, as they’re called these days) is designed to be loud. So if you’re constantly missing calls or text messages, it might be because you aren’t hearing them. And maybe, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more everyday sounds.
Here are several other situations that indicate you should make an appointment for a hearing evaluation:
- You can’t easily determine where specific sounds are coming from
- Your ears aren’t clearing earwax completely
- You take specific medications that can harm your hearing
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
This checklist is in no way exhaustive. For example, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. It would be a smart plan to look into any of these signs.
Regular examinations
But how should you cope with it when you’re not certain if you have any symptoms of hearing loss. Is there a guideline for how frequently you should go get your hearing checked? With all of the other guidelines for everything else, this one seems like a no-brainer. There are, actually, some suggestions.
- Sometime after you turn 21, you need to get a hearing assessment. 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. That can be a huge chunk of time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- If you notice signs of hearing loss, you will want to get it assessed right away, and then yearly after that.
It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any warning signs become apparent with regular screenings. The earlier you obtain treatment, the better you’ll be able to protect your hearing in the long run. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and schedule a hearing test.