When Should You Have Your Hearing Tested?

Hearing is a very important part of your experience, and it’s essential that you stay on top of it at all times. There might be times when you need to get your hearing checked out by an audiologist just to make sure that everything is okay. But how do you know when to actually do that? We are going to take a look at this, in particular, how you can know when you should have your hearing tested. As long as you are aware of this, you should be able to keep on top of it and get all the treatment for hearing loss need.

Regular testing

All adults should have their hearing tested, but most fail to really do this until something obvious needs checking. If you can get your hearing tested on a regular basis, you are going to be much more likely to avoid those kinds of issues in the first place, and you could catch a hearing loss situation soon enough to do something about it more effectively.

As such, it is wise to make sure that you get regular testing carried out. As a general rule of thumb, aim to see your audiologist for a general hearing test at least once every two years, even if you do not notice any distinct changes in your hearing. That way, you can make sure that you are really keeping on top of it.

Annual follow-up

On top of that regular test, you or your audiologist might decide that it is wise to do an annual follow-up too. That might be because there is something that needs keeping an eye on, or they feel that it is wise to keep on top of things in general. This annual follow-up is likely to be a complete and thorough check of your hearing, so you might want to have it done at the same time of the year as any other annual health checks. If you just consider it another one of those check-ups, you are going to keep on top of it in a much better way.

Hearing screening

A hearing screening differs somewhat from other types of hearing tests. Generally, this is a kind of pre-screening that your audiologist carries out to see if you might need further screenings. It is usually quite quick, less comprehensive, but no less important for that, and it can often highlight concerns that might need to be looked at in more detail at a later date. Because of its speed, it is something that you can often get booked in for quite easily and rapidly, so it can be a very helpful test for that reason. If you ultimately pass this screening, it likely means that you don’t have any hearing loss. Otherwise, you might be referred for further tests or treatment.

Obvious loss of hearing

If you are experiencing an obvious loss of hearing, then you should, of course, take this as a sign to get your hearing checked out. It might have happened gradually or suddenly, but in either case, you need to make sure that you are going to your audiologist to have your hearing checked thoroughly. When you do, you should make a point of telling them in detail about the hearing loss you are experiencing so that they know what the situation is. As with any other health checks, it is best to have this done sooner rather than later, so you can receive any necessary treatment right away.

Ear infections

Sometimes, you can experience hearing loss as a result of an ear infection. When this happens, there might be other symptoms along with it too, and it might be that you need to also go to a doctor to have something prescribed. As well as that, you should aim to have your hearing checked, just to make sure that the hearing loss is only a temporary result of the infection and not something more permanent. If it is, you will then, of course, be able to get the appropriate treatment as necessary.

These are just some of the reasons you should go to get your hearing tested. The most important thing to remember is that you do not leave it alone and that you make a point of seeing your audiologist regularly. If you would like to find out more about hearing tests, you can get in touch with The Speech & Hearing Center at 423-551-6770. They will be more than happy to help.