4 Signs You Need a Hearing Test

Good hearing can play a significant role in ensuring a high overall level of well-being – and addressing any hearing loss when it is first noticed can go a long way with regards to enabling you to continue living your best life, on your own terms.

When hearing loss is addressed quickly, it is very likely that your ability to navigate the world in a dynamic fashion will be significantly improved, not to mention your ability to communicate effectively.

There are certain tell-tale signs that can give you a hint that it might be time to book a hearing test. Here are four signs that you need one!

1. You’re finding conversations more frustrating, and are spending more time alone

When you experience hearing loss, conversations become more difficult to negotiate, and misunderstandings are more likely to develop.

While this won’t necessarily cause everyone with hearing loss to become socially withdrawn, a sudden change in your inclination towards social events – and feelings of frustration with conversations as a rule – might be an early warning sign that you are developing hearing loss, and should book yourself in for a hearing test. Initially, the changes in your hearing that cause social withdrawal might appear barely noticeable if at all, but pay attention for signs such as difficulty following the flow of a discussion.

A trained audiologist will be able to diagnose even slight changes in your hearing, quickly, comfortably, and easily.

2. You turn the volume on the TV or radio up higher than you used to 

We all get into set everyday routines by sheer force of habit, and the volume that you have your TV or radio set to will often fall into this category. If you find that you have been gradually increasing the volume on your TV or radio over time, this can be an indicator that you have started to experience hearing loss on a gradual basis.

Pay attention to the comments of friends or family in this regard, too. If they mention that the TV “is a bit loud,” that’s another sign that you should consider contacting an audiologist.

3. You are missing calls, alarms or deliveries

Everyone will likely sleep through an alarm from time to time, not notice the phone ringing, or not realize that a deliveryman has been knocking on the door. If this begins to become something of a pattern, though, it can be a sign that you are experiencing hearing loss. An appointment with an audiologist can quickly clarify and resolve this situation.

4. You are leaning in or twisting your neck more than usual to follow conversation

If you notice that you tend to lean in further, or twist your neck more than other people, when trying to follow the course of a conversation, this might be a simple postural habit – but it could also be a sign of hearing loss which you are unconsciously trying to compensate for.

Following an audiologist’s appointment and treatment, it’s likely that you will be able to lean back and relax more during conversations.