The majority of hearing loss is slight at first, and you may not even recognize a change. Often, it is loved ones who are the first to notice and bring awareness to a person’s hearing trouble. While hearing tests are a routine part of childhood, many adults tend to neglect this important checkup, unlike regular eye exams that are often prioritized.
Clues You May Need a Hearing Test
There are lots of daily situations where you might not be hearing everything and certainly not hearing what others do.
- Are you regularly asking people to repeat what they said?
- Are you noticing yourself cranking up the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a busy restaurant make it harder to hear and understand conversations?
- Are there misunderstandings at work or at home causing disagreements?
Such episodes can take place frequently and have a lasting impact on interpersonal relationships.
Specific Reasons to Have Your Hearing Checked Regularly
According to the guidelines provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, adults are recommended to have a hearing screening every 10 years before reaching the age of 50. For adults aged 50 and above, it is advised to have a hearing screening every 3 years.
1. Family History
If your family members are dealing with hearing troubles, it is a good idea to schedule a hearing evaluation with an expert specializing in hearing health.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By knowing your hearing ability in each ear, you can pinpoint potential problems or areas for improvement.
There are sounds you might not be hearing and impairments that might require further tests or treatments.
3. Monitors Progress Over Time
Each new test will compare new data with past assessments. Some changes happen gradually, and the tests will identify any changes even if you don’t.
4. Assists in Recognizing and Managing Problems at an Early Stage
New tests monitor changes and how quickly they are happening, which can help diagnose and treat problems early, including an accumulation of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Detect Health Issues
In some cases hearing loss is a symptom of an underlying medical condition including diabetes and high blood pressure (connected to hearing loss and tinnitus), plus cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. You may be able to relieve hearing loss by treating the medical conditions causing it.
6. Stop Further Damage
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become depressed and fear social settings, encouraging isolation and more depression. Elderly individuals dealing with hearing difficulties might be at an increased risk of sustaining injuries as a result of their inability to hear alert signals such as car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. Furthermore, research has revealed a connection between unaddressed hearing loss and an elevated danger of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
Maybe you have suspected you have a hearing loss. You now have the information you need, including the awareness that hearing aids can have a positive impact on multiple facets of your life, improving not only your ability to hear, but also your relationships with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
After getting the correct hearing aids to manage your hearing loss, you will experience improved hearing ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of your child’s laughter or a loved one’s voice.
Reach out to us to arrange a hearing evaluation or if you’re worried that you may be experiencing hearing difficulties.