You’re a pretty busy person, so it’s reasonable that you completely forgot about the hearing test you have scheduled for tomorrow. It’s a good thing we sent you a reminder text so you should have a few hours to prepare. So… what should you do?
You won’t have to stay awake all night preparing for a hearing test like you did in school the night before a big exam. With a hearing test, it’s more about attempting to remember everything you need to know regarding your symptoms. Getting the most out of your time with us is what getting ready for your hearing exam is really about.
Here are 7 simple ways to get prepped and ready!
1. List out all of your symptoms and when they manifest
Hearing loss doesn’t manifest the same way for everybody all the time. There may be some symptoms that are obvious and others that are more subtle. So take some notes on when your symptoms are most pronounced before your appointment. You can jot things down like:
- Was it hard to hear the television? How high is the volume? And do you have a harder time hearing at night?
- Is having phone conversations difficult? Keep track of times when it’s harder to hear people than normal.
- Did you have difficulty following a conversation while dining out in a packed restaurant? Does that happen a lot?
- When you’re in meetings at work, do you lose focus? Does this normally occur in the morning? All day?
This type of information is extremely useful for us. Note the day and time of these symptoms if possible. If you can’t, just note that they did happen.
2. Get some info about hearing aids
How much do you really know about hearing aids? It’s an important question because you don’t want to make any decisions based on what you think you know. An ideal opportunity to get some accurate info is when we advise you that hearing aids would help 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. Think about your medical past
This one will also help the process go faster after your appointment. Before your appointment, you should take some time to jot down your medical history. Write down major medical occurrences and also minor ones. You should note things like:
- Medical devices you might currently be using.
- Surgeries you’ve had, both major or minor.
- Illness or diseases you’ve had that stick out in your mind.
- What kind of medication you take.
- Allergies and reactions to medications.
4. Loud noisy settings should be avoided
If you go to a booming rock concert the day before your hearing assessment, it’s going to skew the outcome. 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 protect your ears from loud noises before your hearing exam. This will ensure the results are a correct reflection of the current health of your hearing.
5. Before your appointment, talk to your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests work together can be… perplexing. If your hearing loss is related to a medical problem, some insurance plans will cover it. But other plans might not. You will be a great deal more confident at your appointment if you get this all figured out before you come in. We can also help you in certain situations. If we can’t, you will need to speak directly with your insurance company.
6. Bring a friend or family member in with you
Bringing a trusted friend or loved one with you to a hearing appointment isn’t absolutely necessary, but it can offer numerous advantages. Here are some of the most prominent advantages:
- 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 later.
- Even when you aren’t aware that you have hearing impairment, people close to you will certainly be aware of it. So our test and diagnosis will be based on much deeper and more comprehensive information.
7. The results will come fairly quickly
With many medical diagnostics, it could be days or weeks before you get your diagnosis. But that’s not the case with a hearing exam. 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. Maybe that’s a hearing aid, maybe it’s some changes to your behavior, or some ear protection. Either way, you’ll know it right away.
So you don’t have to overthink it. But being prepared will be helpful, particularly for you.