You’re a really busy person, so it’s understandable that you totally forgot about the hearing exam you have scheduled for tomorrow. Thankfully, you just received that reminder text from us, and you still have some time to get ready. So… what should you do?
Hearing tests aren’t like those days in college or high school where you’d have to pull an all-nighter to study for an exam. Preparing for a hearing test is more about thinking through your symptoms and making certain you don’t forget anything. Getting the most out of your time with us is what preparing for your hearing test is really about.
Get prepared with these 7 tips!
1. List out all of your symptoms and when they manifest
Hearing loss doesn’t present the same way for everybody all the time. Some symptoms may be more dominant 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 tend to happen in the morning? All day?
- Is talking on the phone difficult? Record times when it’s harder to understand people than normal.
- Did you have a difficult time hearing the TV? How high is the volume? And do you have a harder time hearing at night?
- Did you have trouble hearing a conversation while eating out in a busy restaurant? If so, how often does that occur?
This type of information is extremely useful for us. Note the day and time of these symptoms if possible. If you can’t, just note that they did occur.
2. Do some research on hearing aids
How accurate is your knowledge about hearing aids? It’s an important question because you don’t want to make any decisions influenced by what you presume. An ideal opportunity to get some valid info is when we inform you that hearing aids would benefit you.
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 is another instance when writing things down can help hasten the post-hearing-test-conversation. Write down your medical history before you visit us for your exam. Include major medical occurrences and also minor ones. Here are some examples:
- Any medical apparatuses you use.
- Medications you’re currently taking.
- Major or minor surgical procedures that you have had.
- Allergies and reactions to medicines.
- Any history of illness or disease (you don’t need to note every cold, but anything that stands out).
4. Stay away from loud sounds and noisy environments
If you go to a booming rock concert the day before your hearing assessment, it’s going to affect the outcome. The results will be similarly impacted if you go to an airshow the day of your exam. The point here is that you should avoid loud noises before you come in for your hearing exam. This will ensure the results are an accurate reflection of the current health of your hearing.
5. Before you come in, check with your insurance company
It can be a bit challenging sorting out what parts of your appointment will be covered by insurance. Some plans might cover your hearing exam, particularly if it’s related to a medical disorder. But other plans may not. It’s a good idea to get all of this figured out before your appointment, so you’re more confident about what you can expect. We can also help you in certain cases. If not, you can talk to your insurance company directly.
6. Ask somebody to come in with you
Bringing a loved one or trusted friend with you to a hearing appointment isn’t strictly necessary, but it can offer numerous advantages. amongst the most prominent benefits are the following:
- You’re likely to cover a lot of info during your exam. Having a dependable friend or loved one with you can help you remember all of that information later.
- You don’t always know when your hearing isn’t functioning correctly but it’s a good bet your spouse or partner does! So our test and diagnosis will be based on much deeper and more detailed information.
7. The results will come fairly quickly
It may be days or even weeks before you get the results of many medical diagnostics. But with a hearing exam, that’s not the situation. Similar to the bubble-sheet tests that got 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 to improve your overall hearing health and help you understand the meaning of your results. That could mean using some ear protection or some lifestyle changes or possibly hearing aids. You’ll know immediately either way.
So there’s no need to overthink it. But being prepared will be helpful, particularly for you.