Most hearing loss is slight initially, and you might not even recognize a change. Actually, it is usually family and friends who tip off somebody to their hearing problem. While hearing exams are a regular part of childhood, many adults tend to overlook this crucial checkup, unlike routine eye exams that are often prioritized.
Indications That You Might Require a Hearing Evaluation
Throughout 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 cranking up the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental 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 type of situations can happen on a day-to-day basis and continue to impact relationships.
Specific Reasons to Have Your Hearing Assessed Regularly
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association standards state that adults should get a hearing assessment 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 set up a hearing exam with a hearing specialist.
2. Establish a Reference Point for Your Current Hearing Level
Once you know your hearing capacity in each ear, you become aware of any problems.
There are sounds you may not be hearing and impairments that might require further evaluations or treatments.
3. Helps Gauge Future Changes
Every new test will analyze recent data alongside previous tests. Certain adjustments occur slowly, and the tests will identify any changes that may not be obvious to you.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
New tests monitor changes and how rapidly they are happening, which can help diagnose and treat issues early, including a buildup of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Pinpoint Medical Conditions
In some cases, hearing loss can be a sign of a more significant underlying health problem, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, all of which have been connected to hearing problems and tinnitus. Managing the root medical conditions that are causing it could possibly alleviate hearing loss.
6. Decrease Additional Harm
When a patient doesn’t get treatment, they can become depressed and fear social settings, inviting isolation and more depression. Elderly people dealing with hearing troubles may be at a higher danger of sustaining injuries due to their inability to hear warning signals such as car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. Additionally, research has shown a link between neglected hearing loss and an elevated danger of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Finding the Information You’re Looking For
Maybe you have suspected you have a hearing loss. You now have the information you need, including the understanding that hearing aids can have a positive effect on multiple areas of your life, enhancing not only your ability to hear, but also your relationships with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
Once your hearing loss is treated with the appropriate hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear more efficiently during conversations or work meetings, or simply listen to your child’s laughter or a family member’s voice.
Reach out to us to set up a hearing evaluation or if you’re worried that you may be experiencing hearing difficulties.