When Should You Have Your Hearing Test?

You may wonder how often you need to get your ears checked. It's a question that many probably don't think about. But if you are having difficulty hearing people in conversations, or there are signs of tinnitus or ringing in your ears, it is important to have a hearing test. However, what should you do if you think your ears are okay?

Have a Baseline Test

It's important to schedule an appointment at least once after you turn 21. A baseline test shows you the current level of your hearing. This means that if you need to visit an audiologist later in life, they can plot how your hearing has changed since your initial test. Even if you are not experiencing any signs of hearing loss, it is important to get your ears tested every ten years, up until the age of 50. From then, you should have your hearing checked every three years.

Knowing the Signs of Hearing Loss

You should book yourself in for a hearing test if you experience any signs of hearing loss. Sometimes, they can be very subtle, but if you experience any of the following signs, you should consider going to an audiologist before a hearing test.

You cannot follow conversations in loud environments

If you are experiencing difficulties following conversations, or you are struggling to focus on someone in a group talking, this could be a sign of initial hearing loss. If you experience issues hearing higher tones, it can be harder to ignore background noise.

You're not able to hear younger people

Children naturally have higher-pitched voices, and if you start to have difficulty hearing higher pitches, like women's voices, or cannot hear your microwave beep, these could be the initial signs of hearing loss.

You expose your ears to severe conditions

There are many reasons we can experience hearing loss. While there are conditions like ear infections or diseases such as otosclerosis, if you do not clean your ears as regularly as you should, this could cause a buildup of earwax. However, it is easy to remove ear wax.

Additionally, if you swim a lot, you could experience inflammation in your external auditory canal, which is commonly known as "swimmer's ear." It's so important to book an appointment with an audiologist to make sure that your hearing is at its best and help you protect your ears better if you expose them to dangerous conditions.

You are not making eye contact with people

This is another simple sign that you could be experiencing some form of hearing loss. When we experience hearing conditions, our brain will work harder to compensate for any lack of senses. If you experience fatigue after social situations, this could be down to a hearing condition.