Hearing tests aren’t a one-and-done affair. You should be regularly retesting your hearing to monitor for changes. You may be wondering if it’s time for a retest.
Why We Retest Your Hearing
Sensorineural hearing loss—the most common type of hearing loss, often caused by aging or loud noise exposure—continues to develop gradually. While hearing aids may slow its progression, they don’t stop it. We want to stay on top of these changes, however minute, so we can adjust your hearing aids to meet your ongoing needs.
With that, let’s explore the five biggest signs that it’s time for a repeat hearing test.
1: You’ve Noticed Hearing Changes
As we just discussed, hearing loss continues to develop. Sometimes this happens without your noticing, but sometimes there are clues. Here are some examples of noticing subtle hearing changes:
- Suppose you have high-frequency hearing loss, and your hearing aids are accordingly programmed to amplify the high pitches you struggle to hear. Lately, you’ve noticed that mid-range frequencies also sound muffled.
- Suppose you have unilateral hearing loss (hearing loss present in only one ear), but you’ve felt as though your hearing in your “good” ear has been slowly deteriorating.
Don’t ignore these signs. You want your hearing devices to adequately address your needs; they can’t do that if your hearing loss progresses beyond what they’re currently doing.
2: You Keep Turning the Volume Up
Consider this the more subtle version of reason #1. Perhaps you haven’t explicitly noticed hearing changes—after all, our brains are incredibly adaptable, and hearing loss progresses slowly—but you do find yourself turning the volume up on your hearing aids more often. That could be a clue that your hearing loss has progressed without you noticing, and you need to up the amplification with your audiologist.
3: Having a Hard Time Hearing in Noisy Places
Difficulty hearing in loud places is a strong indication that your brain is spending a lot of energy trying to hear. When you first started wearing hearing aids, this issue should have become less noticeable, so if it’s creeping back up again, it’s time for a retest. This could look like:
- Constantly mishearing words when trying to talk in crowded places
- Feelings of confusion when you’re in a group conversation with lots of speakers
- Feeling overwhelmed if there’s background noise, like music or traffic
- Irritation at background noise
4: Your Loved Ones Have Brought It Up
Just like with the beginnings of hearing loss, our loved ones are usually the first to notice changes in hearing. Perhaps you haven’t noticed the changes in your hearing, but other people might. If they’ve gently brought up that you’re turning the TV up too loud or seem to be mishearing them frequently, take their concerns into consideration.
5: It’s Been Five Years
Or we should say five years or more. We recommend that you get your hearing tested frequently, even if you already have a hearing loss diagnosis, to proactively monitor changes. We follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations: retest every five years between the ages of 50 and 64, then every one to three years after you turn 65. If your last hearing test was outside these guidelines, come see us!
If it’s time for an appointment, call Heuser Hearing Institute today.