Good Healthcare Requires Treatment of Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Keep A Hearing Loss Journal In Advance Of Your First Visit With A Hearing Specialist

1 March 2017 by Hugh Larson

When you visit a hearing specialist to have your hearing tested, he or she will ask you a series of questions related to the hearing challenges you're currently going through. Then, combined with the results of your hearing test, the hearing professional will use your answers to suggest which types of hearing aids may be right for your particular form of hearing loss. You'll increase your likelihood of getting the right hearing aids by answering all of the questions accurately, and you can boost your ability to provide the right information by keeping a hearing loss journal. If you begin to notice that your hearing is slipping, book your appointment and keep a journal in the meantime to note these things.

When You Notice Your Hearing Loss

Different people struggle to hear in different environments, so it's worthwhile to note what you experience in your hearing loss journal. For example, perhaps you have trouble following what someone is saying when he or she is speaking quietly. This may be apparent when talking to grandchildren. Or maybe you have difficulties picking out individual voices when there's a large conversation going on in an environment that has lots of background noise, such as a restaurant or theater. Armed with this information, your hearing specialist will be able to select the right hearing aids for your particular hearing challenges.

Things You Can Hear Well

Some people who struggle to hear may find that only part of their hearing is diminished. In other words, they may be able to identify particular hearing challenges, but also find that they hear other things the same as they've always been able to. Note these details carefully so that you can share them with your hearing specialist. For example, perhaps you can hear in-person conversations fine, even when people are speaking in quiet voices, but you really struggle to hear someone speaking to you during a phone conversation.

Specific Sounds You May Hear

Hearing loss isn't just about struggling to hear quiet noises or certain pitches. People who experience hearing difficulties may also hear a wide range of sounds that indicate they need to visit a hearing specialist for a hearing test. Make note of each of these sounds in your hearing loss journal, describing them as accurately as you can. For example, you might occasionally notice whistling sounds, buzzing sounds, or humming sounds that aren't being caused by the environment around you.

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