Hearing health issues aren't always easy to pin down. These challenges impact around 15 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 18, and although age is a well-known risk factor, hearing loss can impact children and others from all walks of life. Getting a hearing evaluation is usually the best way to find out where you stand – and where your health journey might take you next.
Why get your hearing tested?
There are innumerable reasons to go for a hearing evaluation, and each case is unique. That said, many patients are motivated by diagnostic or preventative concerns:
The Power of Accurate Diagnoses
If you have a hearing condition – or even certain ear, nose, or throat issues – then you should get your hearing checked out. Leaving your issue untreated could make it worse and potentially place you at risk of permanent hearing loss. Accurate diagnoses are important because hearing impairment isn't always a cause. It may be a symptom.
You may have suffered an injury that ruptured your eardrum. Perhaps you struggle with diabetes or high blood pressure. Or you might have contracted an ailment that contributed to your hearing loss, such as Meniere's disease or mastoiditis, after getting an infection.
It can be tough to describe your hearing loss since you don't know what you might be missing out on. Hearing tests clear up the confusion by expressing the problem in terms of concrete numbers.
Your evaluation sets a baseline, specifying exactly what's going on and how severe the situation is. From there, audiologists can use the results to communicate with other caregivers. This kind of information is critical no matter whether you're navigating life with a balance disorder, managing your diabetes symptoms, or coping with work-related hearing losses. Even if you're just trying to pick a good hearing aid, getting a test can make it easier to choose confidently.
Knowing the precise pathology of your hearing loss is essential to choosing an ideal solution. Your doctor can't start you on a course of treatment if they don't know how your problems happened. Getting an evaluation may be the first step to wellness.
Making Preventative Care Easier
Some people, such as those who work in high-noise-level environments like industrial settings, are at higher risk of hearing loss. These individuals may wish to get their hearing tested more frequently than others would.
Why add a few more hearing checkups to your personal health calendar? Tracking the changes is a good way to keep up with your elevated risk because you'll notice problems and be able to start treatment sooner.
Some diseases can make self-care more complicated, so it helps to be in the know. For instance, with Meniere's disease, the inner ear organs responsible for hearing and balance can experience problems due to fluid imbalances, so patients often have to make lifestyle changes to help them retain less fluid, such as switching to a low-sodium diet. If these kinds of tricky concerns impact your hearing, then staying ahead of the symptoms with regular evaluations is the responsible thing to do.
When should you get evaluated?
As stated above, each patient's situation is unique, but many otolaryngology practitioners recommend that adults get their hearing tested every three to five years.
We can't overstress that this is just a rule of thumb. If you're older or have a health history that includes previous ear, nose, throat, allergy, or cancer-related conditions, then there's nothing wrong with bumping up the schedule. Check out this blog on what to expect from your next visit to a hearing clinic.
Trust the Experts at OAT
With hearing tests, it's usually best to act sooner rather than later. This is especially true for those facing other problems: Fewer diagnostic delays typically translate to simpler, more affordable treatment options. Perhaps you're concerned about known health issues. Maybe you simply want to stay on top of things. Talking to an otolaryngologist is the smart move either way, so book your Nashville hearing test appointment with the OAT team soon.
