The majority of hearing loss is slight at first, and you may not even recognize a change. Typically, it is loved ones who are the first to recognize and bring awareness to a person’s hearing trouble. While hearing tests are a routine part of childhood, many adults tend to disregard this essential checkup, unlike regular eye exams that are often prioritized.
Clues You May Need a Hearing Exam
There are a lot of daily instances where you might not be hearing everything and certainly not hearing what others are.
- Do you often request people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are boosting the volume on your TV?
- Does background noise in a loud restaurant make it more difficult to hear and comprehend conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life leading to disputes?
Such incidents can take place frequently and have a lasting impact on interpersonal relationships.
Specific Reasons Why You Should Have Your Hearing Assessed On A Regular Basis
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 other members of your family have hearing problems, this is a very good reason to set up a hearing exam with a hearing specialist.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can determine potential problems or areas for improvement.
You may be missing certain sounds or experiencing subtle hearing difficulties that could indicate the need for additional assessments or interventions.
3. Monitors Progress Over Time
Every new test will compare new information with previous tests. Some changes happen slowly, and the tests will recognize any changes even if you can’t.
4. Helps in Recognizing and Addressing Issues at an Early Stage
New tests track changes and how quickly they are occurring, which can help identify and manage issues early, such as a buildup of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Identify Health Issues
In some scenarios, hearing loss can be a sign of a more significant root health issue, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, all of which have been linked to hearing issues and tinnitus. You may be able to alleviate hearing loss by managing the medical conditions causing it.
6. Minimize Additional Harm
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become despondent and fear social situations, encouraging seclusion and further depression. Elderly people dealing with hearing difficulties may be at a higher risk of sustaining injuries as a result of their inability to hear warning signals including car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. In addition, neglected hearing loss is linked to 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 knowledge that hearing aids will improve not only your hearing but also your relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.
Once your hearing loss is managed with the suitable 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 family member’s voice.
Reach out to us to arrange a hearing assessment or if you’re worried that you might be experiencing hearing difficulties.