Hearing loss frequently begins with mild, almost unperceivable changes that can be easy to overlook. Often, it is loved ones who are the first to notice and bring awareness to a person’s hearing trouble. While children are routinely assessed, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Clues You May Need a Hearing Exam
All through the day, there are many instances when you could miss certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Are you regularly asking people to repeat themselves?
- Are you finding yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Does background noise in a loud restaurant make it harder to hear and understand conversations?
- Are there misunderstandings at work or at home leading to disputes?
Such incidents can take place regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal relationships.
Important Advantages of Scheduling Routine Hearing Exams
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association standards 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 your family members are experiencing hearing difficulties, it is a good idea to book a hearing examination with an expert specializing in hearing health.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can pinpoint potential problems or areas for improvement.
You might be missing certain sounds or experiencing subtle hearing problems that could indicate the need for additional assessments or interventions.
3. Helps Measure Future Changes
Every new test will compare new information with past tests. Some changes happen slowly, and the tests will identify any changes even if you can’t.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Issues
New tests monitor changes and how quickly they are happening, which can help diagnose and treat issues early, such as an accumulation of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Pinpoint Medical Conditions
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. Treating the underlying medical conditions that are causing it could potentially reduce hearing loss.
6. Decrease Additional Harm
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become despondent and fear social settings, inviting solitude and further depression. Elderly people dealing with hearing troubles may be at a higher risk of sustaining injuries due to their inability to hear warning signals such as car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. In addition, untreated hearing loss is associated with dementia and falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
You may have wondered if you’re dealing with some amount of hearing loss. You now have the information you require, including the awareness that hearing aids can have a positive impact on multiple areas of your life, improving not only your ability to hear, but also your relationships with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
Once your hearing loss is managed 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 family member’s voice.
Contact us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are noticing hearing loss.