How to Know When You Need a Hearing Test

Thirty percent of adults over the age of 65 suffer from problems related to hearing loss. For people over the age of 70, that percentage jumps to fifty. Hearing loss is far from uncommon, but sometimes it’s hard to know when hearing loss is just part of aging, and when it has become a problem. Below are some signs that indicate you should call your audiologist and schedule a hearing test.

Hearing on the Phone is Difficult

Face to face conversations will almost always be easier than phone conversations, and some difficulty hearing on the phone is expected with age. However, if you have severe difficulties understanding speech, you should seek out a hearing test. Hearing on the phone is harder than usual if you relate to any of the following:

• You have your telephone volume turned up to the highest level and still have trouble hearing.
• You continually ask for repetitions.
• You can only hear parts of conversations/some words disappear altogether
• People on the other end of the line sound muted or far away (and there’s nothing wrong with the connection).

Your Guests Complain About the TV Volume

When friends and family visit your house, do they often tell you to turn the TV down or turn it down on their own? Do people complain that you listen to the radio too loud? This might seem like a simple annoyance at first, but it’s an indicator that you should go to your doctor and get a hearing test.

Background Noises Make Hearing Difficult

Can you hear people speak when it’s quiet but have difficulty hearing them when there’s background noise? Many people who have trouble hearing with background noise find situations like restaurants, holding in-person conversations when the television is on, or talking to someone when there is a lot of industrial noise (like fans or a loud air conditioner) very strenuous. This is often an indication of hearing loss, and you would benefit from getting a hearing test.

Social Situations are Exhausting

Do you feel tired or drained after having to keep up with many conversations in a social setting? When you’re in a group setting – or even one on one – with others, do you find it tiring to try to keep up with their conversations? If so, it might be time to get a hearing test.

High Frequencies are Difficult to Hear

Pay attention to how the noises around you sound. If you find yourself having trouble hearing things like soprano singing voices, children’s voices, or other high-frequency sounds, you should seek out a hearing test. Even if you can hear these sounds but they sound different than they used to you should schedule a hearing test. Typically, high frequency sounds are the first to drop out of the spectrum when hearing loss begins.

Many people put off going to the audiologist for a hearing test because they’re afraid that the test will reveal major hearing loss. Even if this is the case there are still a multitude of treatments available to help you hear better and delay hearing loss. However, most of the time patients who seek out a hearing test when they start to see these subtle first symptoms will have done so early enough for their doctors to help. While some hearing loss is normal later in life, never prolong a doctor visit if your hearing loss starts to interfere with your daily life.

Ask us about hearing tests, we can help! Call 0800 310 1320 today.