The majority of hearing loss is subtle initially, and you may not even detect a change. Typically, it is loved ones who are the first to observe and bring awareness to a person’s hearing trouble. While children are routinely assessed, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Signs You Might Need a Hearing Test
There are a lot of daily instances where you might not be hearing everything and certainly not hearing what others do.
- Do you often request people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are increasing the volume on your TV?
- Is it harder to hear everybody at a noisy restaurant?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life causing conflicts?
Such incidents can occur regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Important Benefits of Scheduling Routine Hearing Exams
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines state that adults should get a hearing screening 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 schedule a hearing test with a hearing professional.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By knowing your hearing ability in each ear, you can pinpoint potential issues or areas for improvement.
You might be missing certain sounds or experiencing slight hearing problems that could signal the need for further evaluations or interventions.
3. Helps Gauge Future Changes
Every new test will compare new data with previous assessments. Some changes happen gradually, and the tests will recognize any changes even if you don’t.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
New tests track changes and how rapidly they are happening, which can help diagnose and treat problems early, including an accumulation of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Identify Health Issues
Sometimes hearing loss is a symptom of an intrinsic medical condition like diabetes and high blood pressure (connected to hearing loss and tinnitus), plus cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Treating the underlying medical conditions that are causing it could possibly reduce hearing loss.
6. Prevent Further Damage
If a patient does not get treatment, they might experience feelings of depression and anxiety in social settings, resulting in increased isolation and worsening of their depression. Seniors with hearing issues can have increased accidents when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that indicate danger. Furthermore, research has revealed a connection between neglected hearing loss and an elevated risk of developing dementia and experiencing falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
You may have wondered if you’re dealing with some degree of hearing impairment. You now have the information you need, including the awareness that hearing aids can have a positive effect on multiple facets of your life, improving 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 appropriate 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.
Reach out to us to arrange a hearing assessment or if you’re concerned that you may be experiencing hearing troubles.