Why Should You Schedule a Hearing Test?
Did you know that 466 million people around the globe have hearing loss?* Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition after diabetes and cancer.** Hearing loss has far-reaching effects on your health, so getting a baseline hearing test and annual follow-up tests can help you catch it early. Most of the time hearing problems begin gradually, without discomfort or pain. What’s more, family members often learn to adapt to someone’s hearing loss, without even realizing they are doing it.
How do I Know if I Need a Hearing Test?
The signs of hearing loss may be subtle and difficult to identify at first. It may often take years for a person to realize or admit they are experiencing a loss in hearing. If you experience any of the following, you may want to consider scheduling a comprehensive hearing test.
Common Signs of Hearing Loss
- Asking others to repeat themselves
- Turning up the TV or radio to volume levels others find loud
- Having trouble understanding conversation in noisy places
- Feeling like other people mumble or slur their words
- Having trouble hearing women’s and children’s voices
- Having trouble hearing on the telephone
- Feeling more irritable or depressed
- Avoiding social situations that were once enjoyable
- Having difficulty following a fast-moving conversation
- Missing important information in meetings
- Being told by others that you have hearing loss
A thorough hearing test is easy and painless, and it will get you started on your path to better hearing. Hearing tests occur in a quiet, sound-treated room (booth) or enclosure designed to keep out any other noises which might affect your hearing exam scores, such as the heater, air conditioner or office environment. You will be asked to wear headphones or soft earplugs with wires connected to an instrument called an audiometer that is used to conduct the test.
Next Steps After Testing
Once your testing is complete, if you have hearing loss, your hearing aid professional will recommend the proper treatment. For most people with mild to moderate hearing loss, that means hearing aids. Fortunately, in recent years, hearing aids have become increasingly smaller and more advanced, often able to connect directly with smartphones and other devices.
If you or a loved one is experiencing difficulty hearing, we invite you to set up an exclusive appointment by calling or scheduling online to get started on a journey to significantly enhance the quality of life through better hearing!
We recommend that you bring along a friend, family member or someone who has a familiar voice to your first hearing evaluation appointment. This will help us to get an even more accurate depiction of your hearing abilities.
What are you waiting for? Schedule your appointment today!
Sources:
*WorldHealth Organization
**Centers for Disease Control & Prevention