You totally forgot your hearing test tomorrow, but that’s not very surprising, you’re really busy. Fortunately, you just got that reminder text from us, and you still have some time to prepare. So how should I get ready?
Hearing tests aren’t like back in college or high school where you’d have to pull an all-nighter to study for an exam. With a hearing exam, it’s more about attempting to remember everything you need to know regarding your symptoms. In other words, preparing for your hearing test is really about making sure you get as much out of your time with us as you can.
Get prepared using these 7 tips!
1. List out all of your symptoms and when they manifest
Hearing loss doesn’t manifest the same way for everybody all the time. Some symptoms might be more pronounced than others. So, before your appointment, it’s a good idea to start taking a few notes on when your hearing loss is most noticeable. You can write things down like:
- During meetings at work, do you lose focus? Does this normally occur in the morning? All day?
- Is talking on the phone difficult? Take note of times when hearing the person on the other end is harder.
- When you’re out in a busy restaurant, do you struggle to hear conversations? Does that happen a lot?
- Did you have a difficult time hearing the TV? How loud is the volume? And do you notice that it’s more difficult to hear at night than in the morning?
We find this type of information very helpful. Note the day and time of these symptoms if possible. If you can’t, just remember that they did happen.
2. Research hearing aids
How complete is your knowledge about hearing aids? You don’t want to make any decisions founded on false information you may have heard somewhere. If we inform you a hearing aid would be worthwhile, that’s would be an ideal opportunity to ask educated questions.
Knowing what types of hearing devices are out there and what your preferences might be can help speed up the process and help you get better information.
3. Think about your medical past
This one will also help the process go smoother after diagnosis. Before your appointment, you should take some time to jot down your medical history. Include major medical occurrences and also minor ones. Here are a few examples:
- What kind of medication you take.
- Any medical apparatuses you use.
- Illness or diseases you’ve experienced that stick out in your mind.
- Allergies and reactions to medicines.
- Major or minor surgical procedures that you have undergone.
4. Stay away from loud noises and noisy settings
If you attend a booming rock concert the day before your hearing test, it’s going to skew the outcome. The results will be similarly skewed if you attend an airshow the day of your test. You can see where we’re going with this: you want to protect your ears from loud noises before your hearing exam. This will ensure the results are an accurate reflection of the current state of your hearing.
5. Check with your insurance in advance
The way that health insurance and hearing tests work together can be… bewildering. If your hearing impairment is related to a medical condition, some insurance plans will cover it. But not all plans will. It’s a good idea to get all of this figured out before your appointment, so you’re more confident about what you can look forward to. In some instances, you can work directly with us to get insurance answers. Otherwise, you can speak to your insurance company directly.
6. Ask someone to come in with you
Bringing a loved one or trusted friend with you to a hearing appointment isn’t absolutely necessary, but it can present several benefits. Among the most prominent advantages are the following:
- You don’t always know when your hearing isn’t functioning correctly but it’s a safe bet your spouse or partner does! So our test and diagnosis will be determined by much deeper and more detailed information.
- You’re likely to go over a lot of information during your appointment. When you get home, after the appointment, you will have an easier time recalling all of the information we give you if someone else is there with you.
7. Be prepared for your results
It could be days or even weeks before you get the results of many medical diagnostics. But with a hearing test, that’s not the case. Similar to the bubble-sheet tests that were fed through the scantron machine when you were in college, you get your results right away.
And what’s even better, we’ll show you how you can enhance your overall hearing health and walk you through the meaning of your results. That could mean utilizing some hearing protection or some behavioral changes or possibly hearing aids. Either way, you’ll know it right away.
So, you won’t need to cram for your hearing exam. But being prepared will be helpful, especially for you.