Do you really need a hearing test?

Time to read: 6 minutes

Your hearing is fine, right?

How do you know?

Usually, you only know because someone has said something. It might be a family member who complains that the TV is too loud or friends who joke a little too pointedly about having to repeat themselves.

Let’s look some of the reasons your hearing may not be up to par:

• You work (or have worked) in a high-noise occupation (construction, military, mechanical, hospitality, teaching).
• You enjoy high-noise hobbies (woodworking, shooting, motorbikes, music and concerts).
• You are over 60.

Even if you’ve been taking great care of your hearing over the years, there is no avoiding Father Time ticking over into the big Six-Oh. There is no getting around it - in Australia, half of the males have a degree of hearing loss.

As we get older, the hairs in your cochlea begin to die off - starting with the ones which process the higher frequencies. Those higher frequencies are the ones we use for speech discrimination. Women and children’s voices are also pitched higher and that high frequency hearing loss is the reason why it becomes difficult to hear your grandchildren clearly.

Harvard Health describes hearing loss as a silent epidemic. The changes to our hearing are typically so gradual that we only tend to notice when there has been a marked loss.

Setting a benchmark

Most of us take our cars to the mechanics for a regular service even when it is running well, and many take the same approach to their health - whether it is the annual dental check up, skin check or eye check.

Shouldn’t we be doing the same for our ears?

If you’re over 50, it is well worth getting a hearing test. This 15 minute test sets a benchmark for your hearing. It will identify any early loss before you are consciously aware of it. If that is the case, getting hearing aids as soon as you need them, has tremendous benefits to your physical and mental well-being.

Addressing hearing loss has been linked to a reduction in the risk of cognitive decline, social isolation, depression and even Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Identifying hearing loss if you are working age, and then doing something about it, can also help increase career longevity and possibly even help you earn more!

A survey called The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income by the Better Hearing Institute revealed:

• Hearing loss was shown to negatively impact household income on-average up to $12,000 per year depending on the degree of hear­ing loss
• The use of hearing instruments was shown to mitigate the [income] effects of hearing loss by 50%

When you come to Value Hearing, this hearing test costs you absolutely nothing. It’s FREE!

What if a hearing test shows I don’t have hearing loss?

If that’s the case, congratulations! You’re doing better than most people. 

The next  step is to diarise an appointment in another five years to get your hearing tested again to stay on top of your hearing health. Then remain mindful of protecting your hearing - wear earmuffs if you’re using power tools and take ear plugs to a concert, for instance. 

What should I do if I have hearing loss?

If your test indicates a loss, your clinician might recommend you have a more comprehensive hearing assessment. Best of all, this assessment will cost you nothing.

At Value Hearing, a comprehensive hearing assessment takes about 90 minutes.

These series of tests will focus your ability to comprehend words and phrases in various levels of competing noises.

We have an excellent article here that goes into detail on what you can expect from a Value Hearing assessment.

If you are new to hearing aids, prepare to have some myths busted. 

You’ll be surprised by how small and powerful they are. Most modern hearing aids offer the additional convenience of Bluetooth connectivity which makes listening to music, watching television, enjoying a podcast even more enjoyable and convenient.