Most hearing loss is slight initially, and you may not even notice a change. Actually, it is usually friends and family who tip off someone to their hearing problem. Although children are regularly assessed, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing test like they would for their vision.
Clues You Might Need a Hearing Test
All through the day, there are many occasions when you could miss certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Do you often request people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are boosting 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 disputes?
These type of situations can happen on a daily basis and continue to affect relationships.
Important Benefits of Scheduling Regular Hearing Exams
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines state that adults should get a hearing assessment 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 exam with a hearing specialist.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can pinpoint potential problems or areas for improvement.
There are sounds you may not be hearing and impairments that may indicate further tests or treatments.
3. Helps Gauge Future Changes
Every new test will compare new data with previous tests. Some changes occur slowly, and the tests will recognize any changes even if you can’t.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
Innovative diagnostic tools now keep track of fluctuations and their rate of progression, enabling healthcare professionals to recognize and manage problems, such as excessive earwax build-up or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Pinpoint Medical Conditions
In some cases, hearing loss can be a sign of a more significant underlying health issue, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, all of which have been connected to hearing problems and tinnitus. Managing the underlying medical conditions that are causing it could possibly reduce hearing loss.
6. Decrease Additional Harm
If a patient does not receive treatment, they might experience feelings of depression and anxiety in social settings, resulting in increased isolation and worsening of their depression. Seniors with hearing problems can have increased injuries when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that indicate danger. In addition, neglected hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline and falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
You may have wondered if you’re experiencing some degree of hearing impairment. Now you have answers, including the knowledge that hearing aids will enhance not only your hearing but also your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
Once your hearing loss is treated with the appropriate hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear more effectively during discussions or work meetings, or simply listen to your child’s laughter or a loved one’s voice.
Get in touch with us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are noticing hearing loss.
