5 Reasons to Get Your Hearing Tested

Do you have a nagging feeling that your hearing isn’t what it used to be? 

Everyone struggles to hear in one situation or another, but the trick is to recognize when you need help. If you’re walking the line between difficulty hearing in a noisy place and more general hearing loss, then here are five excellent reasons to schedule an appointment with an audiologist.

1. Baseline reference

If your hearing line is borderline and you don’t yet need a hearing device, then a test is a waste of money, right?

Wrong!

Each hearing test generates a detailed map of your ability to hear, including the pitches and volumes that you struggle with most. Even regular test results are valuable because they can be referred to in the future for comparison.

It also helps to flag up special areas to watch that could signal a problem directly linked to your hearing, or that are the result of disease processes elsewhere in the body (such as heart disease or diabetes).

No hearing test is ever a waste of time or money because keeping even a normal test on file for future reference is invaluable.

2. It’s painless and quick

How often is it that one hour of your time could have potentially life-changing results?

A hearing test takes around one hour and doesn’t involve any invasive or painful procedures.

You can expect the audiologist to take a medical history and ask questions about your hobbies, interests, and any hearing difficulties. This allows your hearing healthcare professional to build up a picture of your hearing needs and the most appropriate way to move forward. Sometimes, this isn’t necessarily to recommend a hearing device, but can involve referral to a medical specialist (such as a cardiologist) if certain shifts on the hearing test are suggestive of problems with blood flow to the ear.

3. End any suspicions

Why waste time worrying when you could find out for sure?

If you regularly ask people to repeat themselves or take longer than other people to understand what’s been said, then it could be your hearing isn’t all that it could be.

Taking a hearing test is a win-win situation because if there’s an issue you can get it corrected and getting an all-clear means you can stop worrying.

4. Ignoring hearing loss is dangerous

Burying your head in the sand is never a wise option, especially when it comes to your health. The longer hearing loss goes untreated, the more your brain ‘forgets’ how to process sounds. In turn, researchers now believe the altered information your brain receives (or doesn’t receive) makes those suffering from hearing loss more likely to trip and fall, and also suffer from dementia.

5. Warning signs

Last, but certainly not least, hearing loss can be a complication of other health problems. By identifying the nature of the hearing loss this can provide valuable pointers to a significant medical issue so you can get treatment.

If you’re concerned you or a loved one is suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with an audiologist in your area to have your hearing tested as soon as possible.