Hearing loss frequently starts out with mild, almost imperceptible changes that can be easy to miss. Typically, it is loved ones who are the first to recognize and bring awareness to a person’s hearing problem. While children are regularly tested, many adults do not think about scheduling a hearing test like they would for their vision.
Indications That You May Require a Hearing Assessment
All through the day, there are many occasions when you could miss certain things and especially not hear the same things as other people.
- Are you regularly asking people to repeat what they said?
- Do you notice that you are increasing the volume on your TV?
- Does environmental noise in a busy restaurant make it harder to hear and understand conversations?
- Are miscommunications or misinterpretations in your personal or professional life leading to disputes?
Such episodes can occur frequently and have a lasting impact on interpersonal connections.
Specific Reasons to Have Your Hearing Assessed Regularly
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 get one every 3 years.
1. Genetics
If other members of your family have hearing issues, this is a very good reason to set up a hearing exam with a hearing specialist.
2. Establish a Reference Point for Your Current Hearing Level
By understanding your hearing ability in each ear, you can pinpoint potential problems or areas for improvement. You might be missing certain sounds or experiencing slight hearing difficulties that could signal the need for additional evaluations or interventions.
3. Helps Measure Future Changes
Each new test will compare new information with previous assessments. Some changes occur gradually, and the tests will recognize any changes even if you don’t.
4. Helps in Recognizing and Managing Problems at an Early Stage
New tests monitor changes and how quickly they are happening, which can help diagnose and treat problems early, such as a buildup of earwax or noise-induced hearing loss.
5. Detect Health Issues
In some cases hearing loss is a symptom of an underlying medical condition like 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 possibly reduce hearing loss.
6. Minimize Additional Harm
If a patient does not receive treatment, they may experience feelings of depression and anxiety in social settings, resulting in increased seclusion and worsening of their depression. Seniors who have hearing problems can have increased injuries when they don’t hear warning signals like car horns, smoke alarms, and other sounds that mean danger. Furthermore, research has shown a connection between neglected hearing loss and an elevated danger of developing cognitive decline and experiencing falls.
Getting the Answers You Need
You might have wondered if you’re experiencing some degree of hearing loss. You now have the information you require, including the awareness that hearing aids can have a positive effect on multiple facets of your life, enhancing not only your ability to hear, but also your connections with loved ones, colleagues, and social circle.
After getting the right hearing aids to address your hearing loss, you will experience improved listening ability in conversations, work meetings, and while enjoying the sounds of your child’s laughter or a family member’s voice.
Get in touch with us if you want to schedule a hearing exam or if you think you are noticing hearing loss.