Hearing loss often starts out with slight, almost imperceptible changes that can be easy to miss. In fact, it is usually friends and family who alert someone to their hearing problem. Although children are regularly tested, many adults do not consider scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Clues You May Need a Hearing Exam
Throughout the day, there are many instances when you might miss certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Are you frequently asking people to repeat what they said?
- Are you noticing yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Does background noise in a loud restaurant make it harder to hear and comprehend conversations?
- Are there misunderstandings at work or at home leading to disputes?
Such episodes can occur regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Specific Reasons Why You Should Have Your Hearing Tested Regularly
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines state that adults should get a hearing screening every 10 years up until age 50, and adults over the age of 50 should get one every 3 years.
1. Genetics
If your family members are experiencing hearing troubles, it is a good plan to schedule a hearing evaluation with a professional specializing in hearing health.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can determine potential problems or areas for improvement.
You might be missing certain sounds or experiencing subtle hearing difficulties that could signal the need for additional evaluations or interventions.
3. Helps Gauge Future Changes
Every new test will evaluate recent data alongside previous tests. Certain adjustments take place slowly, and the tests will identify any changes that may not be noticeable to you.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Issues
Innovative diagnostic tools now monitor fluctuations and their rate of progression, enabling healthcare professionals to identify and manage issues, like excessive earwax build-up or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Detect Health Issues
In some cases hearing loss is a symptom of an intrinsic medical condition including diabetes and high blood pressure (connected to hearing loss and tinnitus), plus cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Treating the root medical conditions that are causing it could possibly alleviate 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 seclusion and worsening of their depression. Elderly people dealing with hearing troubles might be at a higher danger of experiencing injuries as a result of their inability to hear alert signals such as car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. Moreover, neglected hearing loss is associated with dementia and falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
You may have wondered if you’re dealing with some amount of hearing loss. 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.
After getting the right hearing aids to address your hearing loss, you will experience improved listening ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of your child’s laughter or a family member’s voice.
Get in touch with us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are experiencing hearing loss.