Should I Get a Hearing Exam?

When should you schedule a hearing exam? Here are some signs you should get your hearing checked.

Recently, my children expressed displeasure with the high volume of the TV. My answer …” What?!” It was intended to be humerous. But it also wasn’t. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And I began to question whether I should schedule a hearing exam.

There aren’t many good reasons not to schedule a hearing test. They’re not invasive, there’s no radiation, and you don’t have to feel uneasy about discomfort. Just take a quick moment to book an appointment.

Considering how much untreated hearing loss can affect your health, it’s important to be more cautious about it.

You should get your hearing checked if you notice these signs

If you’ve detected any recent changes that may be indicative of hearing loss, booking a thorough hearing examination with a professional is likely a wise decision. Clearly, if things are hard to hear, that’s a fairly strong indication of hearing loss.

• Background noise can be overwhelming: Have you ever strained to focus on a conversation in a noisy or crowded space, where the surrounding racket makes it hard to catch every word? It’s possible that this could be an indication of impaired hearing.
• It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: Sometimes it’s not loss of volume you have to be concerned about, it’s a loss of clarity.
• You often overlook text messages: Your phone is designed to be attention-grabbing. If you regularly fail to observe incoming calls or texts, the issue may be that you’re not able to hear them.
• Ringing that won’t go away: Ringing in your ears, also known as tinnitus, is typically an indication of hearing damage.

Here are some other situations that indicate you should schedule a hearing assessment:

• Your ear is still blocked following an infection
• Excess earwax has amassed and can’t be eliminated by self-cleaning methods
• You take specific medications that can damage your hearing
• Distinguishing where sounds are originating from can be difficult
• You’re experiencing balance problems

Routine hearing assessments

But what if you haven’t noticed any of these indications of hearing loss? Is there a guideline for how often you should get your hearing checked?

• Get a baseline test done at some point after you’re 21.
• For people with normal hearing, it’s recommended to have a hearing evaluation every three years.
• If you display signs of hearing impairment, have it checked right away and then yearly afterwards.

Regular assessments can help you detect hearing loss before any red flags appear. Early professional attention can significantly improve your chances of maintaining healthy hearing over time. This means you should probably turn your TV down and set up a hearing test.