When to Contact a Hearing Health Professional?

With some health issues it can be pretty clear when it is time to contact a medical professional, but hearing loss can be different. Today, we will share the signs that can tell you when it is time to contact a hearing health professional.

For most of adults, hearing loss starts gradual and builds over time. Small changes can go unnoticed for quite some time. Because hearing loss doesn’t go away on its own and actually only grows worse with time, it is important to recognize the signs that can indicate when it is indeed time to call a hearing health professional:

• Are you asking people to repeat themselves frequently? Perhaps it seems as though everyone around you is always mumbling. Take time to measure the quality of your day-to-day conversations
• Is listening from the back of a room or even from the middle more difficult for you? Can you no longer catch a conversation nearby when your back is turned? Take inventory of common listening situations in your life – what has changed for the better or worse?
• Do relatives or friends tell you to turn down the television or music volume? Conversations around the television could even be impossible due to the sound volume. Also think about times when you missed common household sounds as well due to the volume level
• Are you hearing ringing, swooshing or other sounds that don’t have an external source? While sometimes ringing can happen short-term due to a one-time loud noise exposure, if it is more frequent this could be a sign of a larger problem

If you are experiencing any one or all of the signs above, you should contact a hearing health professional. At your first appointment your hearing health professional will start with a simple hearing test. This initial screening gives your hearing health professional baseline information so he or she can recommend next steps to improve your hearing health.