Hearing loss frequently starts out with mild, almost imperceptible changes that can be easy to overlook. Typically, it is loved ones who are the first to recognize and bring awareness to a person’s hearing problem. While hearing exams are a regular part of childhood, many adults tend to disregard this crucial checkup, unlike routine eye exams that are frequently prioritized.
Clues You Might Need a Hearing Test
There are lots of daily situations where you might not be hearing everything and definitely not hearing what others are.
- Are you frequently asking people to repeat themselves?
- Are you finding yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Is it difficult to understand everybody at a noisy restaurant?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life leading to disputes?
Such incidents can occur regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Important Advantages of Scheduling Routine Hearing Assessments
According to the guidelines supplied by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, adults are advised to have a hearing assessment every 10 years before reaching the age of 50. For adults aged 50 and above, it is recommended to have a hearing screening every 3 years.
1. Family History
If other members of your family have hearing issues, this is a very good reason to set up a hearing test with a hearing specialist.
2. Establish a Reference Point for Your Current Hearing Level
Once you are aware of your hearing capacity in each ear, you become aware of any problems.
There are sounds you might not be hearing and impairments that might indicate further tests or treatments.
3. Monitors Progress Over Time
Every new test will compare new data with past assessments. Some changes occur slowly, and the tests will identify any changes even if you can’t.
4. Helps in Recognizing and Addressing Issues at an Early Stage
New tests track changes and how rapidly they are occurring, which can help identify and manage problems early, such as a buildup of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Identify Health Issues
In some cases hearing loss is a symptom of an intrinsic medical condition like 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
If a patient does not receive treatment, they might experience feelings of depression and anxiety in social settings, leading to increased seclusion and worsening of their depression. Seniors with hearing problems can have increased accidents when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that indicate danger. Furthermore, research has revealed a connection between neglected hearing loss and an elevated risk of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
You might have wondered if you’re dealing with some degree of hearing impairment. 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 improved hearing ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of 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 noticing hearing loss.