Our ears are incredibly complex and delicate organs that are not only responsible for collecting, processing, and sending sound signals to our brains and enabling us to hear, but they also help us maintain our equilibrium and balance. As you get older, it’s common for hearing loss to occur. While it may happen gradually over time, it’s easy to not realize just how much your hearing has changed.
According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, the average American with hearing loss waits seven years before seeking help. Hearing loss has also been shown to negatively impact nearly every aspect of an individual’s life such as physical health, emotional and mental health, family relationships, and self-esteem. That’s why we’ve put together a list of signs it's time to visit a hearing center.
A few signs its time to visit a hearing center include:
Trouble Following Conversations
Ear Pain
Experiencing Tinnitus
You’re Due For A Checkup
Trouble Following Conversations
When experiencing hearing loss, it can become difficult to follow a conversation, even when there is little to no background noise. You may also find yourself needing to turn up the volume when watching TV, speaking to someone on the phone, or listening to the radio. This can cause issues in your daily life as you may miss important information when speaking with your friends and family or at work.
Ear Pain
While ear aches are common for children, they happen often for adults too. Common causes include earwax buildup, which can harden and block your ear canal, changes in air pressure, and swimmer’s ear, which happens when water is trapped in your ear canal, and breeds germs.
Certain causes of ear pain like swimmers' ear can cause future problems as an infection can spread to other areas surrounding the ear and may require urgent medical attention.
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Experiencing Tinnitus
Do you have ringing in one or both ears? As stated by Mayo Clinic, the noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn't caused by an external sound, and other people usually can't hear it. It’s a common problem and affects about 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common in older adults. Other symptoms include buzzing, clicking, and humming noises. Common causes include hearing loss, ear infections, head or neck injuries, and medications.
You’re Due For A Checkup
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) guidelines state that healthy adults ages 18-40 years old, who are not experiencing any noticeable hearing loss, should have their hearing tested every three to five years. However, for other groups, such as those over 60 years old, it’s recommended that you get tested more often. People who are often exposed to loud noises such as those working in live music or construction are more likely to develop hearing loss and should get their hearing tested once a year.
During a checkup, a baseline hearing test a baseline test will show you where your hearing is at that point. A more comprehensive test is a hearing screening which is either pass or fail. If you fail the test, a specialist will be able to give you a more detailed evaluation.
OAT, a Nashville Hearing Center:
At Otolaryngology Associates of Tennessee, we strive to create a culture of patient-centered care valuing accessibility, compassion, innovation, and education. We provide a respectful, patient-focused approach in a warm atmosphere.
Our team of physicians, practitioners, and experienced audiologists will listen to your concerns, conduct thorough diagnostic tests and hearing evaluations, and will recommend the best possible course of treatment. We are also happy to work with you to suggest protective measures to protect and maintain your hearing.
