3 Reasons to Have Your Hearing Tested

Hearing tests can be conducted by audiologists. They are useful because they can tell you if there is a problem with your hearing that needs to be corrected or dealt with. While hearing issues can typically not be cured, they can be treated or managed so it is worth consulting a professional about any issues you might have. But, what are the reasons to get your hearing tested?

You think you’re losing your hearing

It is possible that you believe that you are losing your hearing. There can be many reasons why you would think this. For instance, you might find that you are struggling to hear speech. Speech is a key social interaction and essential in everyday life. As such, it is one of the first issues caused by hearing loss that people often notice.

Do bear in mind that often you will not notice that you are unable to hear someone talk. Instead, you might mishear words, and this will completely alter the meaning of a conversation. That, in turn, can make the conversation awkward and will be noticed by the person you are talking to.

Alternatively, you might find that you have difficulty hearing yourself when you are talking. If this is the case, then you will often speak at a higher volume to compensate for this difficulty. This will also be noticed by people that you speak to. It’s another reason why you should get a hearing test from an audiologist.

Your hearing is muffled or echoed

You might find that while you can still hear properly, your hearing does seem muffled. Either that or there might be echoes when you try and listen to a sound. You might even find that you can hear your own breathing, pulse or heartbeat loudly in your ears. Often, this will be a sign of a physical issue that can be treated. For instance, if your hearing seems muffled, you might have a build up of earwax or even a growth in your ear. Hearing your heartbeat or pulse can be a common sign of an ear infection. A hearing test will be able to pinpoint which issue you are having, and an audiologist will be able to treat the issue for you.

As for an echo, this could again be the sign of a growth or a blockage in your ear. Once you have a hearing test, the blockage can be quite simple to remove. For instance, ear wax can be softened with warm water and then it will drip out of your ear.

You already have hearing aids

You might have already had your hearing tested in the past and been provided with hearing aids. Hearing aids will help you listen more effectively so everything from speech to the volume on the TV. However, once you get hearing aids, there is always the chance that your hearing will continue to deteriorate as you age. Hearing aids do provide adjustment options. If they are not working anymore, your hearing aids can often be changed by altering the settings. However, if this does not fix the issue, a hearing test may be the best option.