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When Should I Get My Hearing Tested and How Often?
Hearing tests are an integral part of assessing, and subsequently diagnosing, hearing loss.
They can help detect conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus relief, SSD, and a range of other conditions that affect hearing. If you don’t have your hearing tested regularly, you risk leaving hearing problems undiagnosed and therefore untreated.
Since hearing tests are not included in regular or routine checkups, it’s important to consider adding them to your healthcare routine. To help you better determine if and when a hearing test is right for you, we’re taking a closer look at what you can expect, when to get tested, and the benefits of regular hearing testing.
If you want to learn more about hearing tests, check out our resources:
1. How Much Does A Hearing Test Cost
2. How to Choose the Best Place to Conduct a Hearing Test
3. Hearing Test vs Hearing Screening
What to expect as part of a hearing test visit
It’s quite likely that you might never have sat for a hearing test, and therefore you aren’t quite sure what to expect.
So, what happens during a hearing test? While each audiologist will have their own unique approach, the same vital steps are included in each preliminary visit and evaluation.
- Medical history: A number of different, often seemingly unrelated, health factors can affect hearing. That’s why you’ll be asked questions about your medical history including any accidents, traumas, or family history regarding hearing loss.
- Symptom assessment: If existing symptoms brought you in, your audiologist will want a full rundown of your concerns, experiences, and how your hearing affects your daily life, for better or for worse.
- Initial exam: Sometimes, something as harmless as a wax blockage can cause hearing loss. That’s why your audiologist will perform a physical exam of your ear canals to rule out anything structural.
- Hearing test(s): Now comes the hearing test. This can take a number of different forms, from tympanometry to check your middle ears and ear drum to pure tone audiometry. In some cases, you’ll be asked to wear headphones and indicate what and where you hear sounds.
- Diagnosis: After only about 20-30 minutes, your audiologist should be able to tell you what to expect for next steps. This can involve anything from additional tests, to prescribing a hearing aid, or a referral to a physician to address an underlying health concern.
When should I get my hearing tested?
When should I get my hearing tested?
- It’s important to have your hearing tested as soon as you suspect hearing loss may be present. Hearing loss often develops gradually over time, so it can be difficult to pinpoint when symptoms start. However, there are early warning signs that you might be developing hearing loss. If you notice any of the following signs and symptoms, it’s time to book an appointment with a Perth audiologist providing hearing loss services and hearing aids.
Book in for a hearing test if there are social indicators such as:
- You’re experiencing tinnitus (loud ringing not coming from an external sound)
- You frequently have to ask people to repeat themselves
- You have difficulty focusing on conversations
- You struggle to isolate voices in loud environments (e.g. in a crowded café or in a meeting)
- You feel tired from straining to hear others
- You struggle to hear the TV or radio at a normal volume
- You feel stressed and annoyed at not being able to hear properly
- You can hear better on one side than the other
- You have trouble understanding people on the phone
- People sound like they’re mumbling
- You’ve had a viral or bacterial infection in the ear
- Your ear has been damaged
- You’ve experienced physical trauma to the head
- You have a family history of hearing loss
- You take ototoxic medications
- You have a circulatory or thyroid condition
- You’ve been exposed to loud noise over a long period of time or a single extremely loud noise, such as an explosion
Or if there are medical indicators such as:
- You’ve had a viral or bacterial infection in the ear
- Your ear has been damaged
- You’ve experienced physical trauma to the head
- You have a family history of hearing loss
- You take ototoxic medications
- You have a circulatory or thyroid condition
- You’ve been exposed to loud noise over a long period of time or a single extremely loud noise, such as an explosion
How Often Should I Get My Hearing Tested?
It’s a good idea to get hearing tests routinely throughout your life. If you’ve never had your hearing tested, we suggest you come in for a hearing assessment from one of our audiologists in Perth to establish a baseline test. This baseline test should be carried out as early as possible in your adult life as it comes in handy if you experience any of the above signs of hearing loss and need to have another test. The results of the second test can be compared with the baseline to detect the severity of any hearing loss.
After your initial baseline test, your audiologist will provide advice based on your test results, medical condition and history and let you know when to come back in for a future hearing test. The time period will vary depending on your age and condition.
After your initial baseline test, your audiologist will provide advice based on your test results, medical condition and history and let you know when to come back in for a future hearing test. The time period will vary depending on your age and condition.
At Hearing And Audiology, we have the best audiologists in Perth offering range of hearing tests for adults, children’s, pensioners and veterans, tinnitus assessments that are carried out in both quiet and noisy environments so that we can effectively determine particular types of hearing loss and the best hearing course of treatment.
Book an appointment with one of our specialist Perth Audiologists today if you’ve noticed any signs of hearing loss.
Do hearing tests hurt?
The good news is that unlike many other processes and procedures in the healthcare arena, hearing and audiology testing is virtually painless. While the tests take different forms, including physical examinations, you should not experience any discomfort during your test.
Common noninvasive hearing tests include the following:
- Otoscopy: The audiologist simply looks into your ear using a special device that magnifies the canal details and shows whether wax or irregularities could be responsible for hearing loss.
- Tympanometry: Also known as a pressure test, a small amount of air is released in the ear to detect whether the eardrum is working correctly.
- Air Audiometry: Sounds are played into headphones for you to indicate what and where you hear the test.
- Bone Audiometry: Sounds are played directly through the mastoid bone to test hearing in the inner ear, or cochlear.
- Speech Audiometry: Words are presented via headphones, and you’ll be asked to repeat what you hear back to the audiologist.
Don’t delay if you suspect issues with your hearing
When it comes to hearing issues, in some cases, there can be underlying health conditions that contribute to the problem. These should be investigated by a primary care practitioner and treated as soon as they are able to limit other symptoms or issues from arising. What’s more, many hearing related concerns can be easily addressed with hearing aids or other treatments once diagnosed, leading to an overall improved quality of life.
At Hearing and Audiology, we have the best audiologists in Perth offering a range of hearing tests for adults, children, pensioners and veterans. We also offer tinnitus assessments that are carried out in both quiet and noisy environments so that we can effectively determine particular types of hearing loss and the best hearing course of treatment.
Book an appointment with one of our specialist Perth Audiologists online or call (08) 9388 8003 today if you’ve noticed any signs of hearing loss.