Most hearing loss is slight at first, and you might not even notice a change. In fact, it is usually family and friends who alert somebody 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
There are a lot of daily instances where you may not be hearing everything and certainly not hearing what others are.
- Are you regularly asking people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are increasing the volume on your TV?
- Is it harder to understand everyone at a noisy restaurant?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life leading to conflicts?
Such episodes can take place regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal relationships.
Specific Reasons to Have Your Hearing Checked On A Regular Basis
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 have one every 3 years.
1. Family History
If other members of your family have hearing problems, this is an excellent reason to set up a hearing test with a hearing specialist.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
Once you know your hearing capacity in each ear, you become aware of any problems.
There are sounds you may not be hearing and impairments that may indicate further tests or treatments.
3. Tracks Progress Over Time
Every new test will analyze recent data alongside previous tests. Certain adjustments occur slowly, and the tests will pinpoint any changes that may not be obvious to you.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
Innovative diagnostic tools now monitor fluctuations and their rate of progression, enabling healthcare professionals to recognize and manage issues, such as excessive earwax accumulation or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Identify Health Problems
Sometimes 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
If a patient does not receive treatment, they might experience feelings of depression and anxiety in social situations, leading to increased seclusion and worsening of their depression. Seniors with hearing issues can have increased injuries when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that mean danger. In addition, neglected hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
Perhaps you have suspected you have a hearing loss. Now you have answers, including the understanding 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 conversations or work meetings, or simply listen to your child’s laughter or a loved one’s voice.
Contact us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are experiencing hearing loss.