Hearing loss often 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 attention to a person’s hearing problem. While children are regularly tested, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing exam like they would for their vision.
Indications That You Might Require a Hearing Assessment
All through the day, there are many instances when you could fail to hear certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Do you often request people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are increasing the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a loud restaurant make it more difficult to hear and comprehend conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life causing conflicts?
These type of situations can occur on a daily basis and continue to impact relationships.
Important Advantages of Scheduling Regular Hearing Exams
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines state that adults should get a hearing assessment every 10 years up until age 50, and adults over the age of 50 should have one every 3 years.
1. Genetic makeup
If your family members are dealing with hearing troubles, it is a good plan to book a hearing examination with a professional specializing in hearing health.
2. Establish a Reference Point for Your Current Hearing Level
Once you know your hearing capacity in each ear, you become aware of any issues.
You might be missing certain sounds or experiencing slight hearing problems that could indicate the need for further assessments or interventions.
3. Tracks Progress Over Time
Each new test will compare new data with past assessments. Some changes happen slowly, and the tests will identify any changes even if you don’t.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Problems
New tests track changes and how rapidly they are happening, which can help identify and treat problems 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. You may be able to relieve hearing loss by treating the medical conditions causing it.
6. Minimize Additional Harm
If a patient does not get treatment, they might experience feelings of depression and anxiety in social situations, resulting in enhanced isolation and worsening of their depression. Elderly individuals dealing with hearing troubles may be at a higher risk of sustaining injuries due to their inability to hear alert signals including car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. Furthermore, research has revealed a connection between unaddressed hearing loss and an increased risk of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
Perhaps you have suspected you have a hearing loss. You now have the information you need, including the awareness that hearing aids can have a positive impact on multiple facets of your life, improving not only your ability to hear, but also your relationships with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
After receiving the correct hearing aids to manage your hearing loss, you will experience enhanced listening ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of your child’s laughter or a loved one’s voice.
Get in touch with us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are experiencing hearing loss.