Do Your Parents Need a Hearing Test?

A hearing test is a recommendation for many people who are getting older. Your parents may be reaching older age and you may be wondering if they need to seek out any additional treatment for their ability, or lack of ability, to hear. Most doctors will recommend that individuals who are older have an initial screening in the office at least one time per year, usually as a part of the annual physical. However, more in-depth screenings may be a good idea for many people especially if there are increased risks involved.

Signs They Need Help

As a child of an older parent, you may be wondering if you should encourage your parents to seek out more thorough screening from a specialist. The good news is there is no reason not to do so. The tests are limitedly invasive and take just a few minutes. They can provide a great deal of information and do not cost much to have done. Insurance or Medicare may even cover the costs. Still, convincing them to have it done can be more difficult to do. The following are some of the most common signs that individuals may need this type of treatment. If you notice these, do not put off getting additional help.

• Do you find that your loved one needs you to repeat what you are saying more frequently than before? They may even request that you look at them when you speak. This is an indication of a loss of hearing, if it not common for them to do this previously.

• Do you find that the volume of the television or radio in their home is significantly louder than it used to be? If they come to your home, do they turn the volume up so they can hear the sounds?

• Do they struggle with conversations over the phone? A key indication of a problem is not wanting to use the phone. Conversations like this can be difficult to manage when you have lost some of your ability to hear.

• Do they avoid social situations they used to enjoy? Some people do this because they hate having to ask family or friends to repeat themselves often or they may be embarrassed by the process.

• Does your family have a history of hearing loss? This can be a good reason in itself to get more screening.

A hearing test can answer many of the questions you have. They can provide you with confidence that there's nothing wrong. If there is, there are solutions for many people that can be very helpful in improving your parent's quality of life.