Should I Get a Hearing Exam?

When should you schedule a hearing evaluation? Here are some indications you need to have your hearing assessed.

Recently, my kids complained about how loud my TV was. Do you know what I said to them? I said, “What?!” It was meant to be humorous. But it also wasn’t. The volume of the TV has been increasing. And I began to ponder: Should I get a hearing test?

There’s no good reason to avoid scheduling a hearing test. They are non-intrusive, they don’t involve any radiation, and you can be at ease without worries about your level of comfort. Just take a quick moment to book an appointment.

Considering how much untreated hearing loss can affect your health, it’s important to be more cautious about it.

Indications you should get a hearing test

If you’ve noticed any recent changes that might be indicative of hearing loss, booking a thorough hearing examination with a professional is likely a smart decision. Obviously, if things are hard to hear, that’s a fairly strong indication of hearing loss.

• It’s hard to hear in noisy venues: Have you ever been to a crowded or noisy room and had trouble following the conversation because of all the background noise? It’s possible that this might be an indication of a loss of hearing.
• It sounds like everybody’s mumbling all the time: In some cases it’s not loss of volume you need to be concerned about, it’s a loss of definition.
• You often miss text messages: Your phone is designed to be loud. If you routinely fail to notice incoming calls or texts, the issue may be that you’re not able to hear them.
• Persistent ringing sound: A continuous sensation of ringing in your ears, knowned as tinnitus, is often an indication of damage to your hearing.

Here are several other scenarios that suggest you should schedule a hearing assessment:

• Your ear is still clogged following an infection
• Excess earwax has accumulated and can’t be eliminated by self-cleaning methods
• Medicines you’re using might be harming your hearing
• It is hard to determine the source of sounds
• You have vertigo

Routine hearing assessments

But what if you haven’t noticed any of these indications of hearing loss? Is there a guideline for how frequently you should get your hearing tested?

• Get a baseline test done at some point after you’re 21.
• If your hearing is normal, get hearing screenings every three years.
• If you show symptoms of hearing loss, have it checked immediately and then yearly after that.

Routine assessments can help you identify hearing loss before any red flags appear. Early professional attention can substantially increase your chances of preserving healthy hearing over time. This means you should probably turn your TV down and set up a hearing test.