You totally spaced your hearing exam tomorrow, but that’s not really surprising, you’re very busy. Luckily, you just got that reminder text from us, and you still have a few hours to get ready. So how should I get ready?
Hearing exams aren’t like those days in college or high school where you’d have to stay up all night 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 exam is really about ensuring 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 you experience them
The symptoms of hearing loss differ from person to person and at different times. There may be some symptoms that are obvious and others that are more discreet. So, before your appointment, it’s a good idea to start taking some notes on when your hearing loss is most significant. Some things you can list out include:
- Do you find yourself losing focus during meetings at work? Does this normally happen in the morning? All day?
- Is having phone conversations difficult? Take note of times when understanding the person on the other end is more difficult.
- Did you have issues hearing a conversation while dining out in a busy restaurant? Does that occur a lot?
- Was it difficult to hear the tv? Do you have it cranked way up? And do you experience that it’s harder to hear at night than in the morning?
We find this kind of information very helpful. If you can, note the time and day these symptoms occurred. At least observe the occurrence of the symptoms if you can’t remember the times.
2. Get some info about hearing aids
How much do you actually know about hearing aids? You don’t want to make any decisions founded on false information you might have heard somewhere. A good time to get some valid info is when we advise you that hearing aids would help you.
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 information.
3. Review your medical history
This is another moment when writing something down can help speed up the post-hearing-test-discussion. Before your appointment, you should take a little time to write down your medical history. This should consist of both major and minor incidents. You should write down things like:
- Illness or diseases you’ve experienced that stick out in your mind.
- What kind of medication you take.
- Medical devices you may presently use.
- Major or minor surgeries that you have had.
- Medication interactions and allergies.
4. Avoid loud sounds and noisy environments
If you go to a booming rock concert the night before your hearing test, it’s going to affect the outcome. Likewise, if you go to an airshow the morning before your exam, the results will not be accurate. The point here is that you should steer clear of loud noises before you come in for your hearing test. This will help ensure your results are reliable and reveal your current hearing health.
5. Before your appointment, talk to your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests work together can be… bewildering. If your hearing loss is part of a medical condition, some insurance plans will cover it. But not all plans will. You will be a lot 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 answers about insurance. If not, you can talk to your insurance company directly.
6. Bring a family member or friend in with you
There are several important benefits to bringing a friend or relative with you to your hearing exam, though it’s not entirely necessary. Among the most notable advantages are the following:
- You’re likely to cover a lot of info at your exam. Having a trusted friend or loved one with you can help you remember all of that information later.
- Even when you aren’t aware that you have hearing loss, people close to you will certainly be aware of it. This means that we will have access to even more information to help make a precise diagnosis or exam.
7. Be prepared for your results
With many medical diagnostics, it may be days or weeks before you get your results. But with a hearing test, that’s not the situation. With a hearing exam, you will get the results right away.
And what’s even better, we’ll show you how you can improve your general hearing health and help you understand what your results mean. That could mean using some hearing protection or some behavioral changes or perhaps 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.
