You’re a fairly busy person, so it’s understandable that you totally forgot about the hearing test you have scheduled for tomorrow. Fortunately, you just received that reminder text from us, and you still have a few hours to prepare. So… what should you do?
Hearing exams aren’t like back in college or high school where you’d have to pull an all-nighter to study for a test. 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 ensuring you get as much out of your time with us as possible.
Here are 7 simple ways to get prepped and ready!
1. Make a list of your symptoms (and when they happen)
The symptoms of hearing impairment vary from person to person and at different times. There may be some symptoms that are obvious and others that are more subtle. So, before your appointment, it’s a good plan to start taking a few notes on when your hearing loss is most noticeable. Some things you can list out include:
- Is having phone conversations difficult? Take note of times when understanding the person on the other end is harder.
- Do you find yourself losing concentration in meetings at work? Does this normally happen in the morning? All day?
- Was it hard to hear the tv? Do you have it turned way up? And do you experience that it’s more difficult to hear at night than in the morning?
- When you’re out in a busy restaurant, do you strain to keep up with conversations? If so, how often does that occur?
We find this kind of information very helpful. Note the day and time of these symptoms if possible. At least note the occurrence of the symptoms if you can’t remember the times.
2. Get some information about hearing aids
How accurate is your knowledge about hearing aids? It’s an important question because you don’t want to make any decisions based on what you think you know. If we tell you a hearing aid would be beneficial, that’s would be an ideal time to ask informed questions.
Knowing what types of hearing devices are available and what your preferences might be can help speed up the process and help you get better answers.
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 come in for your exam. This should consist of both major and minor situations. Here are a few examples:
- Medication interactions and allergies.
- Surgeries you’ve had, both major or minor.
- Any history of illness or health problems (you don’t need to note every cold, but anything that stands out).
- What kind of medication you take.
- Medical equipment you might presently be using.
4. Loud noisy environments should be avoided
If you attend a booming rock concert the day before your hearing test, it’s going to skew the results Likewise, if you check-out an airshow the morning before your exam, the results will not be accurate. You can see where we’re going with this: you want to protect your ears from loud noises before your hearing exam. This will help ensure your results are accurate and reveal your current hearing health.
5. Before your appointment, check with your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests work together can be… perplexing. Some plans may cover your hearing assessment, particularly if it’s related to a medical disorder. But other plans may not. You will be much more confident at your appointment if you get this all squared away before you come in. We can also help you in some cases. Otherwise, you can speak to your insurance company directly.
6. Bring a family member or friend in with you
There are some significant advantages to bringing a relative or friend with you to your hearing exam, though it’s not entirely necessary. Here are several of the most prominent advantages:
- You’re likely to cover a lot of information during your appointment. Having a dependable friend or family member with you can help you remember all of that information when you get home.
- 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 definitive diagnosis or exam.
7. Be prepared for your results
With many medical diagnostics, it may be days or weeks before you get your diagnosis. But with a hearing test, 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 immediately.
And better yet, 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 lifestyle, or some ear protection. You’ll know rather quickly either way.
So, you don’t have to cram for your hearing test. But it is helpful, mainly for you, to be prepared!