Warning Signs You Should Get A Hearing Test

How often should your hearing be tested? It’s a question that everyone should take more seriously. Your general annual health check should include a hearing test. Hearing problems can lead to feelings of isolation and depression and a lower quality of life.

If you don’t take care of hearing problems, you might lose some of your hearing and have a harder time getting used to hearing aids. Long-term, this could make you angry at home and work and less likely to spend time with your friends and family.

Similar to how an optometrist examines your eyes, a licensed audiologist examines your ears to ensure optimal hearing health. Your audiologist will be able to help you determine whether and when you need a hearing test, administer the test, analyze the results and provide you with a diagnosis and, if necessary, a treatment plan.

The need for a hearing test may become glaringly apparent at times. On other occasions, you may be caught off guard. The following symptoms suggest it could be time to visit an audiologist for a hearing test.

You Haven’t Had a Hearing Test for a Long Time

Early detection of hearing loss and careful monitoring are very helpful for taking care of your hearing in the long run. Hearing tests should be a regular part of your checkups and should be done at least once every three years.

If you haven’t had your hearing checked for more than three years, call an audiologist to set up a baseline hearing test. If you think you or someone you care about might have trouble hearing, don’t wait; make an appointment right away. There are many good things about early detection.

Learning about your hearing and how to keep it from getting worse can buy you time before you need to think about getting a hearing aid. Your audiologist will talk to you about ways you can improve your hearing too. The longer you leave things, the more difficult this will be to do.

You Get Tired After Conversations

Do you ever finish a conversation and feel absolutely drained? Sometimes that will be because of the person you’re talking to or what you’re talking about, but if it happens every time you speak to anyone at all, it could be down to your hearing and it’s a good sign to get your hearing checked out by an audiologist.

It might sound strange, but there is an explanation for this feeling, and it does link to your hearing – or a loss of hearing. If you are experiencing hearing loss, you’ll unconsciously be straining to hear what is being said. You’ll have to ignore background noise and really focus on the words coming out of the other person’s mouth. This will be tiring, especially if it goes on for a long time. So, if you feel drained after talking to people, make an appointment to get your hearing examined just to be on the safe side.

You Work in a Noisy Environment

Book a hearing test and get your hearing evaluated for damage caused by noise exposure if you work in a noisy setting or have a pastime that exposes you to a lot of noise, such as attending concerts or shooting.

Your audiologist will be able to tell you if the damage is severe enough to cause permanent hearing loss. Investing in some hearing aids could be a good idea if that’s the case. These days, hearing aids are more than just a way to improve your hearing; they’re tiny, practically invisible pieces of technology. As a result of your audiologist’s programming, your hearing aids will amplify the sounds you have trouble hearing while suppressing the ones you do hear.

You Keep Turning Up the Volume

People may have told you that you turn up the volume on your TV or music too much. This could be an early sign that your hearing is starting to get worse. When it comes to entertainment, everyone has their own preferred level of sound, but it’s a sign of hearing loss when people around you comment on how loud you have it set.

You Move Your Body to Hear Better

If you have to move your body to hear what’s going on, you may have hearing loss in one ear. In the same way, putting the hand over the ear to block out background noise is a sign. Both of these things might help in the short term. But if things keep getting worse, this strategy is likely to stop working in the long run. This is why it’s best to speak to experts about hearing loss if you notice you’re doing this.

If you feel that any of these potential hearing loss warning signs relate to you, or you are experiencing any other symptoms of hearing loss, contact Brentwood Hearing Center at (615) 866-0431 for advice and to book a hearing test.