How do you test if you are going deaf?

[JonahAteAWhale]

I think I can't hear things I think I could hear before, but I'm not sure. How can I test it?

 

[jamiejamie]

See an audiologist or an ENT doctor.

 

[TreeLad]

I found out that I'm profoundly deaf due to a medical I had to have to be able to work on a particular site. We had to undergo drug and alcohol testing and a basic for medical that included a hearing test.

Prior to this, I wouldn't have said that I had an issue although I did regularly hear things differently, for example, one cold morning I heard my wife saying that she wanted to buy a swan. I said, you want to buy a swan?! She said, no! It's minus one! lol.

Anyway, hearing aids have been a god send since.

 

[JonahAteAWhale]

I don't know actually I think I was just getting paranoid. I might get my ears tested though.

 

[ElPulpo]

You can get a rough estimate of your hearing on youtube, for instance this arbitrary one - there are lots of similar ones:

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For better results try it in a silent environment and with high-end speakers. Many smartphone / computer speakers have limited frequency response.

I have to admit that according to those tests my ears are older than me. I take comfort in the fact that at least my fingernails are much younger.

 

[Tine]

I think I can't hear things I think I could hear before, but I'm not sure. How can I test it?

I've been around heavy machinery, shops, and firearms, for over fifty years. I've had my hearing tested so many times, and have suffered some loss, but I'm also quite hyper about using plugs/ear-protection so haven't really lost much. Lower tones/quiet talk is perhaps the worse. 'Whispers' if you will, can be a problem (I'd make a horrible eavesdropper! lol )

 

[PadPhilosopher]

I found out that I'm profoundly deaf due to a medical I had to have to be able to work on a particular site. We had to undergo drug and alcohol testing and a basic for medical that included a hearing test.

Prior to this, I wouldn't have said that I had an issue although I did regularly hear things differently, for example, one cold morning I heard my wife saying that she wanted to buy a swan. I said, you want to buy a swan?! She said, no! It's minus one! lol.

Anyway, hearing aids have been a god send since.

Hey, maybe I'll buy a swan, too!

I've been around heavy machinery, shops, and firearms, for over fifty years. I've had my hearing tested so many times, and have suffered some loss, but I'm also quite hyper about using plugs/ear-protection so haven't really lost much. Lower tones/quiet talk is perhaps the worse. 'Whispers' if you will, can be a problem (I'd make a horrible eavesdropper! lol )

My hearing has always been pro eavesdropper, and I hope it stays that way. I do audio restoration, and need good hearing for that.

 

[Tetra]

Go to an Ear nose and throat practice office they can test you in about 15 minutes , I have a slight loss in my right ear ( go ahead ask me how I know ?) LOL

 

[Averyfox]

The best way to find out is go to a practice that does hearing tests
Its wise to test your hearing cause usually once its gone it never comes back

I myself have a small bit of hearing loss and it impacts your life significantly so please test it and get ahead of it

its seriously anoying when you have ask What? 50 times cause there is too much background noise

 

[Diaperman95]

Hearing test is about the only real way to know. You can loose a lot of high pitch hearing and not even know it. I have used hearing aids going on 3 years now. It made a big difference. Not so much one one with people but in crowded loud environments I would have a hard time making it out or if someone like my daughter talks so soft. My wife is so loud I blame her for me loosing my high pitch hearing. I mean I know it has nothing to do with loud music and working in loud environments without hearing protection. I mean it can't be my fault right. I was shocked how much I was missing in music as I could not hear the high pitch bells and sounds. If it gets to bad you will realize you need to get tested just because peoples words will drop out in background noise. It is so nice not to ask people to repeat all the time. I love bowling it is one of my favorite pass times and when all the pins are going and 60 people in a 12 lane bowling alley are talking with music playing I would just nod my head and say yep and laugh if they did. Some one could be telling me their aunt died.. and I was like "yeah that sounds great man". Lol

 

[Prillprillprill]

See an audiologist or an ENT doctor.

It would definitely be an audiologist not ENT, they're the ones who do hearing tests. If you do have a loss they'll probably offer you hearing aids.

 

[Tetra]

I have chronically impacted cerumen so my doctors ENT practice knows me well , they carve big wax bumble bee looking wax blobs out 2 X’s a year , that’s why I was aware they had an audiologist on staff that could test me .

 

[artemisenterri]

I live with near-permanent tinnitus... even in a quiet room my ears "hear" a constant buzzing/ringing sound that can sometimes fluctuate in pitch.

I've been to two audiologist sites (during 2019 and again in 2021) and there is no cure or "retraining" my ears to remove the sounds. It makes life interesting when I'm in a noisy environment (like my store where we have multiple refrigeration machines running on their own timing)... If I'm more than say 10 feet from someone, unless they are shouting I am likely to miss up to or more than half of what they are saying... And if I'm near one of the machines, the possibility of hearing them is almost nil unless they are standing next to me...

 

[PadPhilosopher]

I live with near-permanent tinnitus... even in a quiet room my ears "hear" a constant buzzing/ringing sound that can sometimes fluctuate in pitch.

I've been to two audiologist sites (during 2019 and again in 2021) and there is no cure or "retraining" my ears to remove the sounds. It makes life interesting when I'm in a noisy environment (like my store where we have multiple refrigeration machines running on their own timing)... If I'm more than say 10 feet from someone, unless they are shouting I am likely to miss up to or more than half of what they are saying... And if I'm near one of the machines, the possibility of hearing them is almost nil unless they are standing next to me...

Surely there's technology for that these days? I'm sorry you have to deal with that. Can't hearing aids at least get the important frequencies louder than the noise?

Also, heavy metal poisoning can be a contributing factor in tinnitus. Has that been checked at all?

 

[artemisenterri]

Surely there's technology for that these days? I'm sorry you have to deal with that. Can't hearing aids at least get the important frequencies louder than the noise?

Also, heavy metal poisoning can be a contributing factor in tinnitus. Has that been checked at all?

Yes, hearing aids would help, but i would need the higher-level "programmable" type, not the basic "amplifies anything and everything" ones...

No, heavy metal poisoning was never suggested as a possibility... Primary blame was attributed to the classic "too close to loud volumes for too long of a time"...

 

[PadPhilosopher]

Yes, hearing aids would help, but i would need the higher-level "programmable" type, not the basic "amplifies anything and everything" ones...

No, heavy metal poisoning was never suggested as a possibility... Primary blame was attributed to the classic "too close to loud volumes for too long of a time"...

Oh, so they're blaming the other heavy metal poisoning.

Not many know of the connection between chronic heavy metal poisoning and tinnitus.

 

[PetahPetah]

I was told years ago, tested same pattern as my dad. Drop in high end like cymboks, hi hat, rattles. His is worse from loud workplace. Mom n dad keep nagging me to TRY hearing aid, but i don't need ALL sounds louder. Just treble. Tv has captions. Weird thing is, left different from right. I e at a waterfall, turn my head and sound changes. " ssssssss shhhhhhhhhh ".
Last yr, i had tried these aid things, at home. One day i was biking home from work ( nothing in ears), and for a minute, the specific sound of car tires on the street, was crisp loud!! Weird!
As for test? Close your eyes, snap fingers. Hear it??

 

[PadPhilosopher]

The aids that can amplify selectively are the way to go if you can afford them. All sounds are NOT created equal!

 

[VanHelsing]

How often do you ask peple to repeat what they just said, if frequent not a good sign. And if you have a partner do they complain you've turned the volume of the tv up. Or do people accuse you of giving random answers? The only definitive answer is from an audiologist, if you are in rhe UK get a doctor to make a referal. A decent hearing aid is the best part £1000.

I am fairly hard of hearing, enough to have a powerful hearing aid in my right ear a d a less so in my left. I drove Mrs VH scats always turning the TV up the TV volume. Now she has to ask me to turn the volume up. I can hear birds in the woods and bubbles pop!

 

[geka]

Yes, hearing aids would help, but i would need the higher-level "programmable" type, not the basic "amplifies anything and everything" ones...

No, heavy metal poisoning was never suggested as a possibility... Primary blame was attributed to the classic "too close to loud volumes for too long of a time"...

I have tinnitus also, got hearing aids last November they definitely help but I still have problems hearing conversations. The higher pitched sounds of speaking to women and children still give me trouble