Sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. These are the five senses bestowed upon us by either a divine being or evolution (depending on your personal bent). While the first four are easily identifiable in terms of understating when they begin to diminish, realizing you are suffering from a loss of hearing can be a bit more difficult to comprehend. This article will look at nine ways you can check your hearing ability to see whether you need more in-depth specialist attention or believe it's just par for the course.

Take A Professional Hearing Test

If you are genuinely worried about your hearing, it could be prudent to visit a hearing specialist and take a test to be 100% sure. These tests are designed to discover any hearing loss you could be experiencing and then to suggest a course of action that is conducive to your particular circumstances. A test will give accurate information on how well one can hear certain pitches and volumes. This data is essential for both diagnosis and treatment. If a loss is detected, the professional can recommend next steps like hearing aids or other assistive devices. They can also provide tips on communicating effectively and possibly prevent further damage before it worsens.

Ask A Friend To Whisper

The whisper test has long been used as a non-scientific but still valuable way to ascertain whether your healing is on the way out. Whispering requires picking up softer sounds, so this can indicate if one is having trouble hearing specific frequencies or volumes that may be signs of hard of hearing. Rather than relying solo on your own perception, getting feedback from a trusted companion can provide a clearer sense of reality. As mentioned, it certainly isn't a scientific way to accurately measure hearing ability, but it's a great way to generate a baseline without medical equipment or having to take time out of your day to visit a clinic.

Try The Telephone Test

If you suspect your hearing difficulties are getting worse, you can give your audio acuity a simple test by using a phone. Having someone call from another room and carry on a short conversation allows you to assess whether you experience problems understanding what is said. Telephones require discerning speech clearly with reduced visual and contextual cues. Therefore, the telephone test can indicate if someone has trouble hearing certain frequencies carried over lines or picks up muffled voices on the other end. If you use a smart device, remember to turn off the options that generate more precise sound because the idea is to find out without the use of gadgets or artificial trickery.

Take A Speech-In-Noise Test

This is an attractive option since it can be performed almost anywhere with a few bits of gear. By playing conversational speech from a device while adding varying levels of background noise, you will discover how adept you are at discerning words in a simulated real-world setting, such as those that include distracting elements.

Use A Hearing Amplifier App And See If It Helps

Downloading a hearing amplifier application on their mobile device can serve as an initial test of their hearing sensitivity. These apps are readily available and aim to boost softer sounds to discernible levels, allowing a user to trial if such amplification enhances their listening experience. One can gauge whether background noise reduction and volume adjustments improve clarity. While not verifying the extent of any deficit, the ease of experimenting with a hearing app from home makes it a practical first step. If enhanced settings seem to help, it indicates it may be worthwhile to seek a complete diagnosis from a medical professional to determine appropriate next steps.

Use A Sound Level Meter And Compare It To What You're Hearing

Comparing what you perceive sound-wise to objective measurements with a smartphone sound level meter application can provide valuable insights. Recording decibel readings of everyday noises like conversation, appliances, or traffic with the app and then evaluating if it matches what they are discerning allows for a preliminary self-assessment of deficits. While not verifying the degree of any loss, such a simple check could indicate whether pursuing a full diagnostic evaluation from a hearing professional may be warranted.

Try A Speech Recognition Test

Having automated voice prompts or recorded speech played and transcribing what is said allows one to gauge if any words are missed or confused. While certainly not equivalent to clinical screening, struggling to interpret speech through transcription may suggest an individual could benefit from exploring a complete hearing evaluation by a specialist.

Ask Friends And Family If They Have Noticed Any Change

Perhaps the most straightforward way to know if you are beginning to lose your hearing is to ask friends and family if they have noticed anything different. This might be you constantly requesting them to speak up, but it will give you a good idea if you should take things further.

Ask Yourself If You Are Finding It Harder To Hear Others

If all else fails, your final option is to trust your own body. If you regularly find it challenging to listen to sound or hear what others are discussing, it could be a good indication that you need to dig deeper.

Your hearing is a vital sense and one that can rapidly deteriorate if left unchecked. By using the suggestions in this post, you can easily see if anything is wrong.