Do I Have a Hearing Problem?

Losing things can be very annoying and, in some cases, very scary. When you lose your keys and you need to be going out of the door in less than five minutes, it's very annoying. When you lose a grandparent or another loved one, it's very sad. When you start to lose your mind and can't remember things you did or said yesterday, that can be very scary. And, when you start to lose your hearing that can make you very anxious and a little scared. But don't worry; it might just mean that you need to take a hearing test to see if you really have hearing loss or if you are simply blowing things out of proportion. The first thing to do is to determine if you really need to set up an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing test. You can use the following guidelines and questions to determine if you really do need to have your ears and hearing checked out. If you enjoy sitting around and watching TV, there are a few things you can look for as a determinant in the question of whether or not to find an audiologist. Do you often ask people to turn up the volume? When you do increase the volume, do other people complain that it's too loud? This could be an example of hearing loss as you are having problems hearing the TV shows and everyone else is not. When you are having conversations with people, do you often have to ask them to repeat what they've said? If you answered yes to this question, be sure that it's because you didn't hear what was said and not just because you were tuning out the other person! Also, you can listen the next time you engage in a conversation to see if it sounds like the other person is mumbling. This can be an indication of hearing loss if you can't hear the other person very well. Another thing to check for when you're having conversations is whether or not you have difficulty understanding what is being said when there is a lot of noise going on in the background or when multiple people are conversing at the same time. You will also want to pay attention to your social schedule. If you often avoid going to parties, big dinners, or other social events because there will be a lot of noise and you won't be able to hear what other people are saying, this can definitely be an indication that there's something wrong with your hearing. When you do go to big events like meetings, religious events, or dinner parties, do you have to sit near the speaker in order to hear what is being said? This is another indicator of hearing trouble. All of these things can point towards hearing loss but the only way to really determine for sure if you have a problem is to have a hearing test. A licensed audiologist can perform the test and your results will help you on the path to healing.