Hearing loss frequently starts out with slight, almost unperceptable changes that can be easy to miss. Often, it is loved ones who are the first to notice and bring attention to a person’s hearing problem. While children are routinely tested, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing test like they would for their vision.
Indications That You Might Require a Hearing Assessment
There are lots of daily situations where you might not be hearing everything and certainly not hearing what others are.
- Are you frequently asking people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are boosting the volume on your TV?
- Does background noise in a busy restaurant make it harder to hear and comprehend conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life causing disputes?
These kinds of situations can happen on a day-to-day basis and continue to impact relationships.
Specific Reasons Why You Should Have Your Hearing Assessed Regularly
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 get one every 3 years.
1. Family History
If other members of your family have hearing issues, this is an excellent reason to schedule a hearing exam with a hearing professional.
2. Establish a Reference Point for Your Present Hearing Level
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can identify potential issues or areas for improvement.
There are sounds you might not be hearing and impairments that might indicate further evaluations or treatments.
3. Monitors Progress Over Time
Each new test will compare new information with past tests. Some changes occur gradually, and the tests will identify any changes even if you can’t.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
Innovative diagnostic tools now keep track of fluctuations and their rate of progression, enabling healthcare professionals to recognize and address problems, such as excessive earwax build-up or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Detect Health Problems
Sometimes hearing loss is a symptom of an underlying medical condition including diabetes and high blood pressure (linked to hearing loss and tinnitus), plus cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Treating the underlying medical conditions that are causing it could potentially alleviate hearing loss.
6. Decrease Additional Harm
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become despondent and fear social situations, encouraging isolation and further depression. Elderly people experiencing hearing troubles might be at an increased danger of experiencing injuries due to their inability to hear warning signals including car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. Moreover, untreated hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline and falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
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.
After getting the correct hearing aids to address your hearing loss, you will experience enhanced hearing ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of your child’s laughter or a loved one’s voice.
Reach out to us to set up a hearing evaluation or if you’re concerned that you may be experiencing hearing troubles.