When is it time to have your hearing checked? Here are four signs that you need to have your hearing assessed.
I guess my TV is regularly turned up to the point where my kids recently complained. And guess what my reply was. I said, “What”? It was funny. Because it was a joke. But it also wasn’t. The TV has been getting louder and louder. And that got me thinking that perhaps it’s time for a hearing test.
It really doesn’t make much sense to neglect getting a hearing assessment. Hearing tests don’t cause you any discomfort, they’re non-invasive, and there’s no radiation. You’ve most likely just been putting it on the back-burner.
Considering how much neglected hearing loss can impact your health, you really should be more vigilant about making sure your hearing loss hasn’t worsened.
There are a lot of good reasons why hearing assessments are essential. It’s often challenging for you to identify the earliest signs of hearing loss without one, and even slight hearing loss can affect your health.
So when should you have a hearing test? Here are some clues that it’s time.
Signs you should have your hearing tested
If you’ve recently experienced any of the signs of hearing loss, it’s definitely 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 that’s not the only symptom, and there are some signs of hearing impairment that are far less obvious:
- It sounds like everyone’s mumbling all the time: Sometimes, it’s clarity not volume you have to worry about. Difficulty following along with conversations is one of the first signs that something is going wrong with your hearing. It might be time for a hearing test if you notice this occurring more and more frequently.
- You have a hard time hearing when you’re in a loud setting: Have you ever had a hard time following along with conversations because of background noise in a busy room? That could actually be an indication of hearing loss. As your hearing progresses from healthy to impaired, one of the first signs is the loss of the ability to isolate specific sounds.
- You don’t always hear alerts for text messages: Mobile devices are made to be loud enough for you to hear. So if you’re continuously missing calls or text messages, it may be because you aren’t hearing them. And if you’re unable to hear your mobile device, what else might you be missing?
- Ringing that won’t go away: A common sign of damaged hearing is a ringing in the ears, also called tinnitus. If you’re dealing with some ringing that won’t stop, it might or might not be a symptom of hearing loss. But if the ringing won’t go away, you should definitely call us for a hearing assessment.
Here are some other circumstances that show you should make an appointment for a hearing evaluation:
- Your ear is still plugged after an infection
- Your ears are not removing earwax completely
- You’re experiencing episodes of vertigo
- You take certain medications that can harm your hearing
- It’s hard to determine the origin of sounds
This checklist, obviously, is not complete. There are other instances of warning signs (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 signs is worth looking into.
Routine examinations
But what if, to your awareness, you haven’t experienced any of these possible signs of hearing impairment? 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. There are, in fact, some recommendations.
- Get a primary exam done sometime after you’re 21. Then your mature hearing will have a baseline.
- Every three years or so will be a good schedule if your hearing seems normal. But make sure you note 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 checked immediately if you notice any signs of hearing loss and after that once every year.
It will be easier to uncover any hearing loss before any warning signs become apparent with routine examinations. You will have a better chance of protecting your hearing over time the sooner you get examined. Which means, you should probably turn down your TV and make an appointment for a hearing examination.