You’re a pretty busy person, so it’s reasonable that you completely forgot about the hearing test you have scheduled for tomorrow. Thankfully, you just received that reminder text from us, and you still have a few hours to get ready. So… what should you do?
You won’t need to stay awake all night cramming for a hearing test like you did in school the night before a big exam. Getting ready for a hearing test is more about thinking over your symptoms and making certain you don’t forget anything. In other words, preparing for your hearing exam is really about making certain 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 impairment differ from person to person and at different times. There might be some symptoms that are obvious and others that are more discreet. So take a few notes on when your symptoms are most pronounced before your appointment. Some things you can write down include:
- During meetings at work, do you lose focus? Does this tend to occur in the morning? All day?
- Is it frustrating to carry on conversations on the phone? Monitor times when it’s more difficult to understand people than usual.
- Did you have a hard time hearing the TV? How high is the volume? And do you notice that it’s harder to hear at night than in the morning?
- When you’re out in a crowded restaurant, do you struggle to hear conversations? Does that happen frequently?
We find this kind of information very helpful. If you can, note the time and day these instances occurred. If you can’t, just note that they did happen.
2. Get some information about hearing aids
How accurate is your knowledge about hearing aids? It’s a relevant question because you don’t want to make any decisions based on what you presume. If we inform you a hearing aid would be helpful, that’s would be a great opportunity to ask informed questions.
You will get better information and the process will be accelerated when you know what types of hearing devices are available and understand what your preferences are.
3. Think about your medical past
This is another time when writing things down can help speed up the post-hearing-test-discussion. Before you come in, you should take some time to write down your medical history. Write down major medical occurrences and also minor ones. You should note things like:
- What kind of medication you take.
- Medication interactions and allergies.
- Any history of illness or disease (you don’t have to note every cold, but anything that sticks out).
- Any medical equipment you use.
- Surgeries you’ve had, both major or minor.
4. Loud noisy settings should be avoided
If you go to a booming rock concert the night before your hearing assessment, it’s going to impact the results The results will be similarly impacted if you go to an airshow the day of your exam. You can see where we’re going with this: you want to safeguard your ears from loud noises before your hearing exam. This will ensure the results are an accurate reflection of the current health of your hearing.
5. Before your appointment, consult your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests work together can be… confusing. Some plans may cover your hearing exam, especially if it’s part of a medical condition. But not all plans will. You will be a lot more confident at your appointment if you get this all squared away before you come in. In some situations, you can work directly with us to get insurance answers. If we can’t, you will have to speak directly with your insurance company.
6. Bring a friend or family member in with you
Bringing a loved one or trusted friend with you to a hearing appointment isn’t absolutely necessary, but it can present several advantages. amongst the most notable benefits are the following:
- You’re likely to go over a lot of info during your exam. Having a dependable friend or loved one with you can help you remember all of that information when you get home.
- You don’t always recognize when your hearing isn’t working right but it’s a safe bet your spouse or partner does! So our test and diagnosis will be determined by much deeper and more comprehensive information.
7. Be ready for your results
It might be days or even weeks before you receive the results of many medical diagnostics. But that’s not the case with a hearing test. Just like the bubble-sheet tests that got fed through the scantron machine when you were in college, you get your results immediately.
And what’s even better, we’ll show you how you can enhance your general hearing health and help you understand the meaning of your results. Perhaps that’s a hearing aid, maybe it’s some changes to your lifestyle, or some hearing protection. You’ll know rather quickly either way.
So you don’t have to overthink it. But it is helpful, mostly for you, to be prepared!