What Was That, I Need A Hearing Test?

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Let’s face it a hearing test was probably left off of your annual health check-up this year and you can’t remember (if ever) the last time your hearing was checked. Hearing health and wellness tends to take a back seat to other routine health check-ups, but the startling reality is hearing loss can occur at any point in a person’s life and it’s often gradual. By the time people seek help, the options for management are usually limited due to the amount of time a person has been living with a hearing loss and the level of the hearing loss the person has.  

Many health organizations promote the need for routine hearing screening including, The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).  ASHA recommends that healthy adults over the age of 18 who do not have noticeable hearing loss should have their hearing tested once every 3 to 5 years and this frequency increases to once every 1 -2 years if you have one of the following:

  • Have an established hearing loss
  • Are over 60 years of age
  • Are regularly exposed to loud noise
  • Have a family history
  • Are taking medications that can impact hearing

Regular hearing tests help establish baseline hearing and detect early signs of hearing loss. It can also illustrate a change in hearing over time; it can show whether hearing decline is happening at a normal rate or whether it’s happening rapidly which would be a cause for concern. Hearing screens can be carried out by your General Practitioner but an in-depth hearing evaluation from an Audiologist will give you a better picture of your hearing. An audiologist can also help guide your hearing wellness by providing education and information on how to take good care of your hearing.

If you’re still wondering if you should get your hearing checked then ONE… the answer is YES. TWO…..the answer is YES. HOWEVER, if you still need some more convincing, then ask yourself the following questions.

Are you turning up the volume of your TV or your favorite podcast to a level that others around you find loud?

Unless there’s an issue with your TV or your car radio this is usually a sign that you need to pay attention to your hearing and get your hearing tested. Hearing loss happens gradually and the increase in volume typically happens incrementally over time.

Do your ears feel clogged and/or are you experiencing muffled sound?

This complaint can be for a variety of reasons. It can be something as benign as impacted ear wax or even due to a head cold. However, it can also be a sign of permanent hearing loss, since permanent hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear can make things sound dull.

Are you constantly asking people to repeat themselves?

This in itself might not be a concern, the world is a VERY noisy place but if it’s happening in most of the environments you find yourself in, then yes you’ve guessed it,  it’s about time you get your hearing tested. Hearing impairment doesn’t usually cause you to lose your hearing completely and it’s typically confined to certain pitches. In the case of hearing loss caused by age or noise damage, it tends to be the higher pitches that are affected first. The higher pitches, unfortunately, are important for speech clarity, and a simple ask for “ice in your water?” can leave you feeling puzzled (and little embarrassed) when you heard “rice in your water?” My clients frequently tell me “I can hear my spouse talking, I just can’t hear them clearly.”

AND for those that need even more convincing, I hear you. Check out this questionnaire by the National Institutes of Health.