The importance of a hearing exam
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, which makes it a good time to check in on your hearing health. Your hearing is critical to your overall physical, emotional and social well-being. For example, hearing loss has been associated with a wide variety of mental and physical health conditions such as diabetes, anxiety and depression, according to the American Diabetes Association and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Treating hearing loss is a very personalized experience and varies from person to person and ear to ear. Getting a hearing exam is a great step toward taking care of your health.
A thorough hearing evaluation performed by an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist results in valuable, in-depth information about your individual hearing capabilities. The exam allows providers to determine whether you have hearing loss, the type and degree of loss and the treatment options to recommend, if needed.
A hearing evaluation typically contains multiple parts. Here’s what each can tell you about your hearing health:
- Case history: Covers things like your medical history, current medications and noise exposure, which can give clues as to what may be expected on the tests.
- Otoscopy: Determines if there’s anything blocking your ear canal, like earwax or a foreign object and whether your eardrum looks healthy.
- Tympanometry: Measures the health of the middle ear and how well your eardrum moves.
- Air and bone conduction testing: Determines the softest sounds you can hear at different frequencies, giving your provider an idea of your hearing ability.
- Speech testing: Helps the provider understand how loud speech needs to be so you can hear it and how well you understand without visual or contextual cues.
These tests, in addition to your case history, give your provider a complete picture of your hearing health. Altogether, this information helps ensure that you get the individual recommendations and care you need.
Hearing loss can often mean missing out on the sounds that matter most. These sounds can range from important conversations with your doctor and safety alarms to more joyful sounds like talking with loved ones and being out in nature. Treating hearing loss can help you live a fuller life.
As an MTA member, you have access to hearing care through Hear In America, enabling you to save on the average retail price of high-quality hearing aids.
Now is a fantastic time to take advantage of your hearing program. Call Hear In America at 855.252.7639 to schedule a hearing exam with a provider near you.
