When is it time to have your hearing checked? You need a hearing exam if you have any of these four warning signs.
The other day, my kids complained about how loud my television was. Do you know what I said to them? I said, “What”? It was a joke. I thought it was amusing. But, in some ways, it was anything but funny. I have needed to turn the TV up louder and louder as of late. And I started to wonder: should I get a hearing test?
There aren’t all that many excuses not to make an appointment for a hearing exam. They aren’t invasive, there’s no radiation, you don’t have to worry about discomfort. It’s really just that you haven’t put aside time to do it.
You should really be more vigilant about keeping track of your hearing because, if left unchecked, it can impact your overall health.
There are lots of good reasons why hearing evaluations are important. Even mild hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s almost impossible to identify early hearing loss without a hearing examination.
So when should you have your hearing tested? Here are some signs that it’s time.
You should have your hearing tested if you experience these signs
It’s time to get a professional hearing assessment if you’ve been experiencing signs of hearing loss recently. Obviously, if things are difficult to hear, that’s a pretty strong indication of hearing loss.
But that’s not the only indicator, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are far less obvious:
- It seems like people are mumbling when they talk: Often, it’s clarity not volume you have to worry about. One of the earlier signs of hearing loss is trouble following conversations. It may be time for a hearing test if you detect this occurring more and more often.
- It’s hard to hear in noisy venues: Have you ever had a hard time keeping up with conversations because of ambient noise in a busy room? If this sounds familiar you could be experiencing hearing loss. Being able to isolate sounds is one indication of a healthy ear; this ability tends to wane as hearing loss progresses.
- Ringing that won’t subside: Ringing in your ears, which goes by the name of tinnitus, is often a sign of hearing damage. If you’re dealing with some ringing that won’t go away, it might or might not be a sign of hearing loss. But it’s definitely an indication that you should schedule a hearing test.
- You always miss alerts for text messages: Mobile devices are manufactured to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you missed, it’s most likely because you couldn’t hear them. And maybe, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more everyday sounds.
This list isn’t exhaustive, here are a few more:
- Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
- It’s hard to pinpoint the origin of sounds
- You have an accumulation of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
- You regularly use specific medications that are known to have an effect on your hearing.
- You experience vertigo
This checklist is by no means exhaustive. There are other examples of red flags (if, for example, the volume on your TV is maxed out and you still wish it could go just a little louder). But any one of these symptoms is worth looking into.
Routine examinations
But what if, to your knowledge, you haven’t experienced any of these possible signs of hearing loss? So how often should you have your hearing tested? With all of the other guidelines for everything, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, yes, there are suggestions.
- Get a baseline assessment done sometime after you’re 21. Then your mature hearing will have a baseline.
- Every three years or so will be a practical schedule if your hearing seems healthy. That can be a long time to pay attention to, so make certain they’re noted in your medical records somewhere.
- You’ll want to get checked immediately if you detect any signs of hearing loss and after that once a year.
Routine examinations can help you identify hearing loss before any red flags appear. The earlier you find treatment, the better you’ll be able to protect your hearing in the long run. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and schedule a hearing assessment.
