How Often Should You Get Your Hearing Tested?
As a general guide, adults under 50 with no concerns should have a baseline test followed by a check every 3 to 5 years, adults aged 50 to 60 are advised to test every 2 to 3 years, and from 60 onwards a yearly test makes sense. Guidance varies a little between organisations, so treat this as a starting point that we are happy to talk through with you.
Key takeaways
Under 50 with no concerns: a baseline test, then a check every 3 to 5 years
Aged 50 to 60: every 2 to 3 years, even if your hearing feels fine, and every year from 60
Hearing aid wearers and people who spend time around loud noise: at least once a year
Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears needs urgent help from NHS 111 or your GP, so please contact them before booking a routine test
How Often Should Adults Have a Hearing Test?
The gap between tests depends mostly on your age and on whether anything in your life gives your hearing extra work to do. This table shows the guidance we find most useful as a starting point.
Who you are | How often to test |
Under 50, no concerns | A baseline test, then every 3 to 5 years |
Aged 50 to 60 | Every 2 to 3 years, even if your hearing feels fine |
Over 60 | Every year |
Hearing aid wearer | At least once a year, sooner if anything changes |
Regular exposure to loud noise at work | At least once a year |
A baseline test is worth having even when everything seems fine. It gives us a clear picture of your hearing at one point in time, and every later test can be compared against it. Changes are much easier to spot when there is an earlier result to look back at.
Some clinics suggest that healthy adults with no particular risk factors have a first test from around the age of 50, followed by a check every 2 to 3 years. If you are not sure which pattern suits you, ask us and we will work it out together.
Why Does Age Change How Often You Should Test?
Age related hearing loss, known as presbycusis, is thought to affect around 40% of people over 50 in the UK. It tends to develop so gradually that many people do not realise it is happening. The television creeps up a notch, you sit a little closer to people in restaurants, and life carries on, so the change can build for years before anyone mentions it.
Regular testing brings that slow change into view. Many people have an eye test every couple of years without thinking twice, and hearing benefits from the same habit.
Younger adults are not exempt. Long-term exposure to loud music, headphones and busy workplaces can affect hearing at any age, which is why a baseline test before 50 is a good idea. It is common to wonder whether a test is worth it when nothing seems wrong, and the baseline is the answer to that: it gives every future test something to be measured against.
Who Should Test More Often?
Some people have a good reason to check their hearing every year, whatever their age.
If you wear hearing aids, your hearing keeps changing even with them in, so a test at least once a year keeps them set up for the hearing you have now. The hearing aids we fit include six-monthly review appointments, which gives us regular chances to see how things are going.
If your job exposes you to loud noise, a yearly test is sensible. Employers have a legal duty to protect staff from excessive noise, and in higher-risk workplaces that includes regular hearing checks. We also offer industrial hearing screening for local businesses, using portable equipment so we can come to you.
If hearing loss runs in your family, or you take a medicine known to affect hearing, it makes sense to test earlier and more often. Your GP or pharmacist can tell you whether a medicine you take is one of them.
Loud hobbies and long hours with headphones add to the load as well, so mention them when you come in and we will take them into account.
Which Signs Mean You Should Not Wait for Your Next Test?
Booking sooner is always fine, and there is no need to wait for a scheduled check if something feels different. RNID lists turning the television up louder than others want it, and struggling to hear on the phone, among the common signs of gradual hearing loss. Other signs include asking people to repeat themselves, finding busy rooms harder than they used to be, friends or family commenting on your hearing, and ringing or buzzing in your ears, which is often, though not always, linked to hearing loss.
A blocked ear can make everything sound muffled, and wax or an infection can reduce hearing in much the same way as hearing loss does. Our £15 triage appointment is a good first step if you are unsure. One of our experts checks your ears using video otoscopy and shows you the results, looking first for things like blocking wax or an infection.
What Should You Do If Your Hearing Drops Suddenly?
Hearing loss usually comes on gradually. If you suddenly lose hearing in one or both ears, RNID's current guidance is to contact NHS 111 or your GP urgently, or to visit your nearest urgent treatment centre. The cause might turn out to be minor, and sudden hearing loss can also be a medical emergency where there is only a short window for treatment to work. Please make that call first. We are always glad to help with what comes next once you have been seen.
What Happens at a Hearing Test With Us?
A hearing assessment with us starts with a chat. Our audiologist asks about anything you have noticed with your hearing, looks in your ears, and then asks you to wear headphones and press a button whenever you hear a tone. It is simple and pain free. We explain the results at the end and give you a copy to take away, and we talk through what the next steps could be. We absolutely do not do pressure sales, so if all you want is peace of mind, that is a perfectly good reason to come.
Hearing tests generally take somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour, and if you need longer, you get longer. A hearing assessment costs £25. If you are in for ear wax removal, ask about the free hearing screener we offer afterwards.
Who Will You Meet When You Come In?
Sarah founded Hearing Sound after finding that appointments at a national chain left too little time to get to know people properly, and we have kept ours unhurried since the beginning. She is a Registered Hearing Aid Audiologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, with over a decade in the industry including time in NHS clinics.
Nina is our Hearing Care Assistant. She has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years and helps with wax removal appointments, and she and Sarah worked together in previous roles and both completed their wax removal training at Aston University. Anne is our Clinic Co-ordinator and the friendly voice at the Coalville clinic when you call or come in, with a background in NHS administration roles since 2007. Phoebe has joined us as our apprentice.
Where Can You Book a Hearing Test Near Coalville and Shepshed?
We have two clinics, one at 101 Meadow Lane in Coalville and another at 24 Charnwood Road in Shepshed, and we also serve Whitwick, Ellistown, Hugglescote, Ibstock, Loughborough and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. You can call us on 07368 662227 or fill in the contact form on our website, and we will be in touch within 12 hours to confirm a time that suits you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I have a hearing test? Adults under 50 with no concerns should have a baseline test and then a check every 3 to 5 years. Adults aged 50 to 60 are advised to test every 2 to 3 years, and adults over 60 every year. Hearing aid wearers and people who work around loud noise should test at least once a year.
How much does a hearing test cost at Hearing Sound? A hearing assessment costs £25. Our triage appointment, where we check your ears using video otoscopy, costs £15, and we offer a free hearing screener after wax removal treatment.
Do you see people from outside Coalville and Shepshed? Yes. Our clinics are in Coalville and Shepshed, and we also serve Whitwick, Ellistown, Hugglescote, Ibstock, Loughborough and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Will you try to sell me hearing aids at my hearing test? No. We absolutely do not do pressure sales. Our audiologist explains your results and advises on next steps, and the decision is always yours.
What should I do if my hearing drops suddenly? Contact NHS 111 or your GP urgently, or visit your nearest urgent treatment centre. Sudden hearing loss can be a medical emergency, so please do this before booking a routine appointment with us.
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