Hearing loss frequently begins with mild, almost imperceptible changes that can be easy to overlook. Typically, it is loved ones who are the first to observe and bring awareness to a person’s hearing trouble. Although children are routinely tested, many adults do not consider scheduling a hearing test like they would for their vision.
Indications That You Might Require a Hearing Assessment
There are lots of daily instances where you might not be hearing everything and certainly not hearing what others are.
- Are you regularly asking people to repeat what they said?
- Are you finding yourself turning up the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a busy restaurant make it more difficult to hear and understand conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life leading to conflicts?
Such incidents can occur regularly and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
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 your family members are dealing with hearing difficulties, it is a good plan to schedule a hearing evaluation with a professional specializing in hearing health.
2. Set Your Baseline Hearing
By knowing your hearing ability in each ear, you can determine potential issues or areas for improvement.
There are sounds you might not be hearing and impairments that may require further evaluations or treatments.
3. Tracks Progress Over Time
Every fresh test will analyze recent data alongside previous tests. Certain changes take place slowly, and the tests will pinpoint any changes that may not be obvious to you.
4. Helps Diagnose and Treat Early Issues
Advanced diagnostic tools now monitor changes and their rate of advancement, enabling healthcare professionals to identify and address issues, such as excessive earwax accumulation or noise-related hearing damage, at an early stage.
5. Identify Health Issues
In some cases, hearing loss can be a sign of a more significant underlying health problem, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, all of which have been linked to hearing issues and tinnitus. You might be able to alleviate hearing loss by managing the medical conditions causing it.
6. Stop Further Damage
When a patient is without treatment, they can become depressed and fear social settings, encouraging isolation and further depression. Elderly people experiencing hearing difficulties may be at an increased danger of sustaining injuries due to their inability to hear warning signals including car horns, smoke alarms, and other warning sounds. Additionally, research has shown a link between unaddressed hearing loss and an elevated danger of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
Maybe 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 colleagues.
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 concerned that you might be experiencing hearing troubles.