You finally decided to take a step toward bettering your hearing and schedule an appointment for a hearing test. Congratulations!

Normal hearing plays a critical role in our everyday lives. But most people neglect taking care of their hearing without understanding what state they would be in without this vital sense. Don’t delay or postpone having your hearing examined. It isn’t always the best approach toward your overall health.

Now that you’ve scheduled your hearing test. The next big step is preparing for the actual test.

Let’s discuss the necessary steps to take when preparing for your next hearing exam:

1.     Select the Right Audiologist

The first and perhaps the most important step is looking for and finding the right audiologist for your hearing test. Logically, you want an audiologist who’s located near your home, work, or school. This way, you avoid spending time and resources trying to reach your audiologist.

You’ll also want an audiologist whose schedule fits into yours seamlessly without interfering with your daily routine. If you need after-hour appointments, you should consider choosing an audiologist that offers evening and weekend scheduling.

The more thorough you are with your search, the more likely you will find an audiologist that’s convenient for your daily life and hearing exam.

2.     Familiarize with the Process

You also need to know exactly what is going to occur during the hearing test beforehand.

Familiarizing yourself with the examination process will help you feel more comfortable. You will feel less like someone venturing into the unknown.

A quick brief: you should expect your audiologist to play several different noises to you through a pair of earphones. You will be asked to press a button whenever you hear a noise. It’s a simple and easy to understand process. Your audiologist will also be on hand throughout the entire process to guide you through the examination and answer any questions you may have.

3.     Clean Your Ears

Your audiologist will offer to clean your ears and remove earwax and other particles that may impact the hearing text. This is standard for all hearing tests.

However, you can decide to clean your ears in advance, especially if you want to keep the text short and focused.

We recommend using warm water and a dishcloth to remove any excess earwax from your outer ear. Don’t insert anything into your inner ear to avoid damaging it.

We also don’t recommend using ear candles or cotton swabs when cleaning your inner ear. These objects can be dangerous and don’t always work as well as you may think.

4.     Grab a Friend

It is always advisable to have a friend or family member around who has unique insight into your hearing ability. You want to bring someone you interact with regularly. While you may not notice any hearing issues, your friend’s input and experience may prove otherwise.

Having a friendly face around and hearing a familiar voice comforting you can also help calm you down if you have anxiety or feel stressed about the procedure.

5.     Avoid Loud Noises

Exposing your ears to continual loud noises can also make the test less effective. Therefore, it is best to spend at least 12 hours before the appointment in a quiet environment for the most reliable results.

While this may be preferable, it isn’t necessarily essential. For instance, if your work involves continual exposure to loud noise, breaking from it may not be an effective strategy. In such situations, you should explain to your audiologist what you do and how it may affect the results.

Keep your audiologist informed about all background information that may hinder them from finding the most reliable results.

6.     Don’t Go Sick

Allergies, colds, or ear infections can also impact your hearing text’s results. Such health conditions can cause fluid build-up in your ears. And the test results may not be accurate if you have excessive fluid build-up in your ear.

In most cases, it’s always best to call your audiologist and explain the situation before the appointment date. They will be happy to reschedule the meeting.

Remember, your audiologist needs your ear to be functioning optimally for the most reliable results about your hearing. So, ensure you also have a list of any conditions or allergies you’re prone to, as well as your medical history for your audiologist.

As much as you want to know your audiologist, he/she needs to know about your medical background to determine which conditions may trigger allergic reactions and avoid them.

Preparing for a hearing exam is easy. The exam is simple and usually takes about an hour to complete. The best advice is to stay calm and be open to the test. Above all, ensure you take notes about any important information your audiologist may offer.

Taking a hearing test can be overwhelming. But with a calm mind and a friend along, you will be able to get through the appointment. Good luck!

Categories: Me

Vicky Charles

Vicky is a single mother, writer and card reader.

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