Signs You Need to Have a Hearing Test

It’s difficult to realize that you are experiencing hearing loss. As you go through life, you have conversations, relax in social environments and watch TV every day. You might not notice that people are trying to talk a little louder to you or that you have to turn up the volume that little bit more. 

There are many different reasons why you could be experiencing hearing loss. The most common being long-term exposure to loud noises and the natural process of aging. Loss of hearing is common among people of all ages and most importantly, it is manageable.

Why Hearing Tests Are Important

Many people avoid hearing tests without fully looking into the benefits of having one.

Taking a hearing test when you first notice that you are experience hearing loss can highlight any potential issues that could worsen over time. However, audiologists advise that everyone should get a hearing test after the age of 40, even when there are no noticeable signs of hearing loss. This will establish a clear baseline for hearing your abilities. 

A hearing test can flag any underlying conditions that could be affecting the health of your ears. It can look into infections, tinnitus and previously under-determined reasons for experiencing vertigo. You could look at it more like an ear health checkup.

Common Signs That You Should Have a Test

Anyone can experience hearing loss. It’s very easy to ignore the signs and adjust or even sacrifices to avoid taking care of your hearing loss. However, your life could be drastically improved by paying attention to your hearing abilities. 

Here are the most common signs that you may be experiencing loss of hearing:

• Thinking people mumble when they talk 
• Struggling to hear people in busy places
• Missing alarms or phone calls frequently
• Experiencing tinnitus, an internal dull buzzing sound
• Frequently misunderstanding words
• Asking people to repeat themselves often
• Your loved ones often say you are not listening

Around 30 million people in America experience hearing loss each year. Looking into how you experience hearing loss will not only improve your quality of life but your relationships with your loved ones and ease any frustration that you feel comes with it. 

What Happens in a Test

After a few simple questions regarding your hearing health, the audiologist will test your ability to determine frequencies and vibrations based on tone, do a visual examination of your inner ear and conduct speech testing by asking you to repeat words that you hear. 

There are many finite details that go into a hearing test that can determine what is best for your hearing health. By catching the signs of hearing loss early on, an audiologist can see whether your hearing loss is progressive or not and establish a baseline to measure from in the future.