Why is a Hearing Test Important?

If you are experiencing any of the signs of hearing loss, then a hearing test is the most effective way to diagnose and start treating the condition. It helps you get a better understanding of your overall hearing range and choose the device that will best meet your needs.

However, even if you aren’t experiencing the symptoms of hearing loss right now, you should still think about having the occasional hearing test. Just because your hearing is working as it should be right now doesn’t mean that you aren’t at risk of hearing loss in the future. Here, we’re going to look at just a few of the reasons that you should still be making an appointment with your hearing instrument specialist to arrange a hearing test.

A baseline test makes it easier to measure hearing loss in the future

When you were a child, you might have had a baseline test to ensure that your hearing was healthy at a younger age. However, some people may not have had a baseline hearing test and, even if you have, it’s better to have one when you’re fully grown and past the age of 21. These baseline tests offer your hearing instrument specialist a comparison that they can look at next to future hearing tests.

They can help them identify any changes in your hearing and the indicators of hearing loss. When it comes to age-related and noise-induced hearing loss, getting a hearing test now will make it easier to more accurately identify them.

You may have hearing loss that you don’t yet know about

As mentioned, if you’re thinking that you might have hearing loss, then it only makes sense to take a test that diagnoses it. However, if you haven’t had a test since you were a child, you might have experienced hearing loss that you don’t know about.

Gradual hearing loss can be difficult to notice precisely because it’s gradual. Low-frequency hearing loss, which is a rarer type, can be even harder to notice. Some symptoms of gradual hearing loss, like having to turn the TV or radio up a little higher than usual, can be tough to notice. If you arrange a hearing test as part of an annual, bi-annual or even once-in-five-years physical, then you won’t miss any changes in your overall hearing health.

Regular hearing tests are key to prevention

If you are starting to experience very slight changes to your hearing, they might not affect your quality of life too much. However, if you leave them unnoticed and untreated, then they can be exacerbated over time. There may come a point that you need to wear a hearing aid, and you might have been able to prevent it.

When you take a hearing test with your hearing instrument specialist, they can identify the slightest signs of hearing loss. They will also talk about your general hearing health, including environmental risks and other symptoms that you might not know you should be concerned about. As such, they can offer all kinds of advice of prevention as well, helping you keep your hearing health in top form.

Your hearing health is a vital part of your health, period

Hearing loss that has gone undiagnosed can be the cause of a lot of other issues in your life. For instance, if you’re unable to better hear the world around you, then you might have trouble communicating with people in your life. In school and college, this might mean a difficulty to retain information as you should.

Professionally, it might hurt your career since miscommunication can lead to errors in your work. It can also strain your relationships with your friends and family, leading to isolation and real mental health impacts.

Furthermore, untreated hearing loss is related to a wide range of other conditions, such as depression, anxiety disorders, chronic stress and even dementia in the long term. For the sake of your mental health, you need to take good care of your hearing health, too. Identifying hearing loss as soon as possible and having the right device fitted with the help of a hearing instrument specialist can greatly improve your quality of life.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of hearing loss, or if it has been a long time since your last one, you should arrange a hearing test with your hearing instrument specialist today. You can get in touch with Better Hearing of Madison County today at (315) 693-3637 and we will be glad to help you.