Woman with short curly hair reading about hearing tests on her phone contemplating scheduling and exam

When should you have your hearing tested? You need a hearing test if you have any of these four signs.

I guess my TV is regularly cranked up to the point where my kids recently complained. Do you know what I said to them? I said, “What”? It was humorous. Because it was a joke. But it also wasn’t. I have needed to turn the TV up increasingly louder lately. And that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing assessment.

There aren’t really that many reasons not to schedule yourself for a hearing test. Hearing assessments don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there isn’t any radiation. You’ve most likely just been putting it on the back-burner.

You should really be more vigilant about keeping track of your hearing because, if left untreated, it can impact your overall health.

Hearing evaluations are important for a wide variety of reasons. Even slight hearing loss can have an affect on your health and it’s virtually impossible to recognize early hearing loss without a hearing test.

So how will you know if you should make an appointment? Here are several ways to tell if you need to come see us.

You should get your hearing tested if you observe these signs

It’s time to get a professional hearing assessment if you’ve been experiencing signs of hearing loss recently. Clearly, it’s a strong indication of hearing loss if you’re having a hard time hearing.

But some of the other signs of hearing loss are more subtle:

  • You’re always missing text messages: Your cellphone (or mobile device, as they’re called now) is designed to be loud. So if you keep noticing text messages or calls that you failed to hear, it’s probably because you couldn’t hear them. And perhaps, when you think about it, you’re missing out on more common sounds.
  • Chronic ringing in your ears: A typical sign of damaged hearing is a ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. Ringing in the ear might or might not point to hearing loss. But it’s definitely a sign that you should schedule a hearing exam.
  • It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Often, it’s clarity not volume you have to worry about. One of the earlier symptoms of hearing loss is trouble following conversations. If you detect this happening more often, you might want to schedule a hearing test.
  • You have a hard time hearing when you’re in a noisy setting: Have you ever had a hard time keeping up with conversations because of ambient noise in a crowded room? If this sounds familiar you could be experiencing hearing loss. As your hearing goes from healthy to impaired, one of the first warning signs is the loss of the ability to identify distinct sounds.

This list is not thorough, here are a few more:

  • Your ear hasn’t cleared after an ear infection
  • You can’t easily determine where particular sounds are coming from
  • You regularly use specific medications that are known to have an impact on your hearing.
  • You have a buildup of ear wax you’re body can’t clear by itself
  • You experience vertigo

This list, obviously, is not thorough. For instance, if your TV’s volume is maxed and you still can’t hear it. But any one of these signs is worth looking into.

Routine examinations

But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t encountered any of these possible symptoms of hearing loss? So how frequently should you have your hearing screened? There’s a guideline for everything, right, so there’s got to be a guideline for this. Well, yes, there are suggestions.

  • Sometime after you turn 21, you should get a hearing test. Then your mature hearing will have a standard.
  • If your hearing is healthy, have hearing examinations or tests every three years or so. But be sure you mark these appointments in your calendar or medical records because it’s easy to forget over these huge periods of time.
  • You’ll want to get assessed immediately if you notice any signs of hearing loss and after that once a year.

It will be easier to identify any hearing loss before any red flags become apparent with routine examinations. You will have a better chance of preserving your hearing over time the sooner you get checked. Which means, you should probably turn your TV down and make an appointment for a hearing examination.

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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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