You’re a pretty busy person, so it’s understandable that you completely forgot about the hearing test you have scheduled for tomorrow. Luckily, you just received that reminder text from us, and you still have some time to prepare. So how should I get ready?
You won’t need to stay up 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 trying 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 easy ways to get yourself prepped and ready!
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. Some symptoms might be more prominent than others. So take a few notes on when your symptoms are most pronounced before your appointment. Some things you can list out include:
- During meetings at work, do you lose focus? What time during the day is this most prominent?
- Was it hard to hear the television? How high is the volume? And do you have a harder time hearing at night?
- Did you have issues hearing a conversation while dining out in a busy restaurant? If so, how frequently does that take place?
- Is talking on the phone difficult? Monitor times when it’s more difficult to hear people than normal.
This type of information is really useful for us. If you can, note the time and date these symptoms occurred. If you can’t, just remember that they did happen.
2. Research hearing aids
How complete is your knowledge about hearing aids? You don’t want to make any decisions founded on false information you may have picked up someplace. If we inform you a hearing aid would be beneficial, that’s going to be a great time to ask educated questions.
You will get better answers and the process will be expedited when you know what types of hearing devices are available and determine what your preferences are.
3. Go over your medical history
This is another instance when writing something down can help speed up the post-hearing-test-discussion. Write down your medical history before you come in for your exam. Write down major medical occurrences and also minor ones. Here are a few examples:
- Medications you’re currently taking.
- Surgeries you’ve had, both major or minor.
- Illness or diseases you’ve experienced that stand out in your mind.
- Medication interactions and allergies.
- Any medical apparatuses you use.
4. Avoid loud noises and noisy environments
If you have a hearing exam scheduled and you go to a loud concert the night before, the outcome will be impacted. 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 assessment. This will ensure the results are a reliable reflection of the current state of your hearing.
5. Before your appointment, check with your insurance company
The way that health insurance and hearing tests interact can be… bewildering. If your hearing loss is part of a medical problem, some insurance plans will cover it. But not all plans will. It’s a good plan to get all of this squared away before your appointment, so you’re more confident about what you can look forward to. We can also help you in some instances. If we can’t, you will have to speak directly with your insurance company.
6. Ask somebody to come in with you
Bringing a loved one or trusted friend with you to a hearing appointment isn’t strictly necessary, but it can provide several benefits. Among the most prominent benefits are the following:
- When you’re at your appointment, a lot of information will be discussed. Having a trusted friend or family member with you can help you remember all of that information later.
- You don’t always detect when your hearing isn’t functioning correctly but it’s a good bet your spouse or partner does! This means that we will have access to even more insight to help make an accurate diagnosis or exam.
7. The results will come fairly quickly
With many medical diagnostics, it may be days or weeks before you get your diagnosis. But with a hearing exam, that’s not the situation. Just like the bubble-sheet tests that were 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 enhance your overall hearing health. That might mean using some hearing protection or some behavioral changes or maybe hearing aids. Either way, you’ll know it right away.
So, you don’t need to cram for your hearing exam. But being ready will be helpful, especially for you.