If you have never had a hearing test before, you might be unsure about what’s going to take place and whether you need to do anything to get ready for it. There’s nothing that you absolutely have to do before a hearing test, but there are some things that you might like to do to make it a bit easier for yourself and for your audiologist too. Hearing tests cause no discomfort and are relatively quick and simple. You can see the results after the tests and find out if you might need hearing aids or any other treatment. In order to get the most out of your hearing test, consider the following easy ways you can prepare for this appointment.
Prepare Your Medical History And Information
Before carrying out your hearing test, your audiologist will want to know about your medical background. It’s useful to have some information about any significant illnesses you might have or health conditions that are worth mentioning. A list of any medications that you currently take will also be helpful to present to your audiologist. Another good idea is to write down any particular times when you might have trouble with your hearing or certain words that you have difficulty understanding.
Clean Your Ears
Cleaning your ears isn’t something that you should do too often. When you do clean them, you need to be very careful to make sure you don’t damage your ears in any way. Cleaning your ears before a hearing test isn’t essential, but it can be helpful. It helps to ensure that your ears aren’t affected by wax and the audiologist can see into your ears more clearly. They will use an instrument called an otoscope to look into your ear canal. You can gently wipe the outside of your ears with a warm washcloth. You might also find it useful to use eardrops or oil to soften wax that is further into your ear.
Reschedule If You Have A Cold
Having a hearing test when you have a cold might not be a great idea. When you’re congested, it can affect your hearing levels, and you might not be able to hear as well as you usually can. When you have a cold, it can also affect the fluid inside your ear. The audiologist needs to check the functioning of your eardrum and inner ear, and they might not work as well as they should when a cold alters the fluid in your ear. You might want to reschedule if you get a cold a day or two before your hearing test.
Write Down Questions
Asking questions when you have your hearing test is a great way to inform yourself and to get reassurance if you’re worried. But even if you have lots of questions now, you can forget them all when it’s time for you to have your test. If you want to make sure you remember all of your questions, writing them down is a good idea. Either before or after you have your hearing test, whenever is most appropriate, you can ask your questions and get the answers that you need.
Take A Look At Some Hearing Aid Options
If you think that you might have some hearing loss and could require hearing aids, or you know you need new hearing aids, try taking a look at some possible options. It can be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some different types of hearing aid and which features might be useful. Of course, your audiologist can help you with these things too. However, a lot of people can find it helpful to do their own research.
Take Someone With You
Many people find that they feel better if they can take someone with them to their hearing test appointment. Having a friend or relative with you can help to reassure you if you’re nervous or unsure. They could also help by taking notes while you talk to the audiologist. You might also find that it’s a good idea to take someone with you if you need help with remembering important details that you want to mention.
Schedule a hearing test with Kampsen Hearing by calling (813) 369-5692. Your appointment will include a number of elements, including a conversation with your audiologist and several simple tests to check how your ears are functioning. You can find out more about the tests that your audiologist will perform on the site or discuss what will happen before you make an appointment.