You’re a pretty busy person, so it’s understandable that you completely forgot about the hearing exam you have scheduled for tomorrow. Fortunately, you just received that reminder text from us, and you still have some time to get ready. So… what should you do?
Hearing exams aren’t like back in college or high school where you’d have to stay up all night to study for a test. With a hearing exam, it’s more about trying to remember everything you need to know about your symptoms. Essentially, getting ready for your hearing test is really about making sure you get as much out of your time with us as you can.
Here are 7 simple ways to get prepped and ready!
1. Put together a list of your symptoms (and when they happen)
Hearing loss doesn’t manifest the same way for everybody all the time. Some symptoms may be more prominent than others. So, before you come in, it’s a good plan to start taking some notes on when your hearing loss is most noticeable. Some things you can write down include:
- Did you have trouble following a conversation while dining out in a packed restaurant? Does that occur a lot?
- Was it difficult to hear the television? How high is the volume? And do you have a more difficult time hearing at night?
- Do you find yourself losing concentration in meetings at work? What time during the day is this most prevalent?
- Is it frustrating to have conversations on the phone? Monitor times when it’s harder to understand people than usual.
This kind of information is very useful for us. Take note of the day and time of these symptoms if possible. 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 really know about hearing aids? You don’t want to make any decisions founded on false information you might have heard someplace. An ideal time to get some accurate info is when we advise you that hearing aids would benefit you.
You will get better answers and the process will be expedited when you know what types of hearing devices are available and understand what your preferences are.
3. Review your medical history
This one will also help the process go faster after your appointment. Before you come in, you should take a little time to write down your medical history. Include major medical incidents and also minor ones. Here are some examples:
- What kind of medication you take.
- Major or minor surgical procedures that you have undergone.
- Any medical equipment you use.
- Any history of illness or health problems (you don’t need to note every cold, but anything that stands out).
- Medication interactions and allergies.
4. Loud noisy environments should be shunned
If you go to a loud rock concert the night before your hearing test, it’s going to affect the results Similarly, if you go to 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 help ensure your results are reliable and reflect your current hearing health.
5. Before you come in, check with your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests interact can be… perplexing. If your hearing impairment is part of a medical condition, some insurance plans will cover it. But not all plans will. You will be far more confident at your appointment if you get this all figured out before you come in. In some cases, you can work directly with us to get answers about insurance. Otherwise, you can talk to your insurance company directly.
6. Bring a friend or family member in with you
There are some considerable benefits to bringing a relative or friend with you to your hearing test, though it’s not entirely necessary. amongst the most notable benefits are the following:
- When you’re at your appointment, a lot of information will be covered. Later, after the appointment, you will have an easier time remembering all of the information we give you if someone else is there with you.
- Even when you aren’t aware that you have hearing impairment, people close to you will certainly be aware of it. This means that we will have access to even more insight to help make a precise diagnosis or exam.
7. Be prepared 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 test. 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 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 immediately either way.
So, you don’t need to cram for your hearing exam. But it is helpful, mainly for you, to be prepared!