Signs you need a Hearing Test

Audiologist Melbourne

When listening to music or watching TV, do people tell you to turn the volume down? If they are, there’s a possibility that you’re having hearing issues. The first step will be to take a hearing test that will determine your level of deafness. 

Hearing tests are conducted on people to check their ability to hear the loudness and pitch of a sound. The results come out on a graph paper (audiogram) to help understand the severity of the hearing problem. These tests are always conducted in the presence of the doctor in an audiology clinic. Tests include pure tone audiometry, using an audiometer, and a speech discrimination test. These are also conducted to test in newborn children. 

To determine and understand if you need a hearing test, you need to identify if you need one. So, what are the signs that tell you that you need a hearing test? 

  • Turning up the volume on the television or your phone: If you observe that you’re constantly turning the volume up on your television or phone, then it’s time to get a hearing test.

  • People tell you that you’re too loud: As you grow older, the immunity of the body subsides and you become prone to many infections. You might not notice that your hearing is also being affected. When this happens you end up speaking louder than usual with your friends and family. 

  • Finding it hard to hear conversations: If you’re having a hard time conversing with your colleagues or friends, then it’s a sign that you need a hearing test. Sometimes you’ll find yourself leaning towards them while they are speaking and constantly asking them to repeat themselves. 

  • Unable to hear the doorbell ring, alarm, or phone calls: If you’re having hearing problems, you’ll tend to miss phone calls and won’t be able to hear the doorbell. On some days, you might also end up oversleeping as you’re not able to hear the alarm clock. If you’re noticing these things, you have to take a hearing test. 

  • Ringing sensation in your ear: A ringing sensation in the ear is related to tinnitus. It’s a constant noise in the ear that you experience even when you’re in a quiet room. This happens when your hearing problem affects your brain. This can be reversed by avoiding loud noises and relaxing using stress-relief techniques. For additional support, you will need to check with the doctor for an immediate reversal of the condition.

If you are experiencing the symptoms above, you need to understand the kind of hearing tests that will be conducted. These tests will help the health professionals to find a solution for your particular problem. 

Pure tone audiometry: The audiometer tests the inner and outer walls of your ear. You will have to press a button to determine if  you can hear pure tones (i.e. beeps and whistles through the headphones). 

Speech discrimination test: This verifies how clearly you can hear the speech. This test also requires you to repeat what you’ve heard. The test is usually conducted on older people when they begin to develop hearing loss.

Online hearing test: This determines whether or not you can hear background noise. This test is also conducted on the elderly. 

There are also special kinds of tests for babies and children. Based on the results, the doctor might suggest wearing a hearing aid. For this purpose, one of the best products to buy are the Signia Hearing Aids.

Bottom Line

Identifying the symptoms should be the first step. If you’ve noticed these symptoms, going in for treatment should be your top priority. The signs of hearing loss might be worrying for some, but it’s important to acknowledge the issues and get it sorted as soon as you can. In the long run, it’ll make  your life easier and stress-free. Get more information regarding hearing, click here Roger Smith Quora profile. You'll get all your answer here.