You completely spaced your hearing exam tomorrow, but that’s not really surprising, you’re very busy. It’s a good thing we sent out a reminder text so you should have a few hours to prepare. So how should I get ready?
Hearing exams aren’t like those days 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. Essentially, preparing for your hearing test is really about making certain you get as much out of your time with us as possible.
Get prepared with these 7 tips!
1. List out all of your symptoms and when they manifest
The symptoms of hearing impairment differ from person to person and at different times. Some symptoms might be more prominent than others. So, before your appointment, it’s a good plan to start taking a few notes on when your hearing loss is most significant. You can write things down like:
- Is it a challenge to carry on conversations on the phone? Take note of times when hearing the person on the other end is more difficult.
- When you’re out in a crowded restaurant, do you struggle to hear conversations? Does that happen frequently?
- During meetings at work, do you lose focus? What time during the day is this most prominent?
- Was it hard to hear the tv? Do you have it turned way up? And do you experience that it’s harder to hear later in the evening than in the morning?
We find this kind of information very useful. Note the day and time of these symptoms if possible. At least observe the occurrence of the symptoms if you can’t record the times.
2. Do some research on hearing aids
How complete is your knowledge about hearing aids? It’s an important question because you don’t want to make any decisions based on what you presume. If we tell you a hearing aid would be helpful, that’s would be the perfect opportunity to ask educated questions.
Knowing what kinds of hearing devices are out there and what your preferences might be can help speed up the process and help you get better answers.
3. Review your medical history
This one will also help the process go faster after diagnosis. Before you come in, you should take some time to jot down your medical history. This should consist of both major and minor incidents. You should note things like:
- Medical devices you may presently use.
- Any history of illness or disease (you don’t need to note every cold, but anything that sticks out).
- Major or minor surgeries that you have undergone.
- Medications you’re currently taking.
- Allergies and reactions to medicines.
4. Loud noisy environments should be shunned
If you attend a loud rock concert the day before your hearing assessment, it’s going to impact the results Likewise, if you check-out an airshow the morning before your exam, the results will not be reliable. 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 ahead of time
The way that health insurance and hearing tests interact can be… confusing. If your hearing impairment is related to a medical condition, some insurance plans will cover it. But not all plans will. You will be a great deal more confident at your appointment if you get this all figured out before you come in. In some situations, you can work directly with us to get insurance answers. Otherwise, you can talk to your insurance company directly.
6. Bring a friend or family member in with you
There are several considerable advantages to bringing a relative or friend with you to your hearing exam, though it’s not entirely necessary. amongst the most notable advantages are the following:
- When you’re at your exam, a lot of information will be covered. Later, after the appointment, you will have an easier time recalling all of the information we give you if someone else is there with you.
- You don’t always detect when your hearing isn’t functioning correctly but it’s a safe bet your spouse or partner does! So our exam and diagnosis will be determined by much deeper and more detailed information.
7. Be ready for your results
It could be days or even weeks before you get the results of many medical diagnostics. But that’s not the situation with a hearing exam. With a hearing exam, you will get the results right away.
And even better, we’ll help you understand what your results mean and how you can improve your general hearing health. Perhaps that’s a hearing aid, maybe it’s some changes to your behavior, or some ear protection. You’ll know rather quickly either way.
So there’s no need to overthink it. But it is helpful, mainly for you, to be prepared!