An online hearing test should not be used to replace a clinical diagnosis from a physician or hearing specialist.
Even before Covid, there were many things we could all accomplish from our homes: from shopping for clothes, to food delivery from your favorite restaurant. Covid has only increased these options, so now people are doing things like as meeting their doctors over Zoom, or taking online fitness classes in greater numbers than ever before.
Recently, I wrote an eye health article that included an online visual test. An online visual test or hearing test should never be used instead of an evaluation by a professional. Keep in mind that if you take an online hearing test, it can only indicate how well you are hearing, and not the underlying cause of any issues. Results can be misinterpreted if you’re not a professional, and a professional evaluation is necessary to find the cause and best solutions.
However, if you feel you are losing some of your hearing, or are curious about how good your hearing is, an online test can get you started more sooner rather than later, and that’s better than waiting the 7 years it takes (on average) for people to make an appointment with their provider after they become concerned about their hearing.
- Here’s an Online Hearing Test that takes about 20 minutes, and includes a consultation.
- Here’s a 5 minute hearing test that takes you through some everyday sounds, and shows how background noises can affect your ability to hear what others are saying.
Being aware of your hearing and your hearing health is very important. Here are 5 Tips to Help Protect Your Hearing that we can all use:
- Avoid loud noises when possible, and if you have to be in a situation where there is loud noise, move further away from the source (a speaker, for instance) and wear ear protection.
- Whenever possible, give your hearing a break from constant noise every 15 minutes or so.
- If you’re exposed to lots of loud noise (including music), it’s ideal to give yourself about 18 hours for your hearing to recover afterward
- Whether at work or home, take precautions around continuous loud noises (such as blenders, or machines at work). This means using ear plugs, earmuffs, or noise-cancelling earphones.
- Exercise! Yes, exercise is also good for your ears. Cardio gets your blood pumping, including to your ears, and this helps them stay healthier.
Did you or someone you know try this test, and find out about some potential hearing loss? Remember that LSH helps restore the gifts of hearing for those who can’t afford the help they need, if they qualify. Please visit How to Qualify or call 1.800.647.6638 for next steps.
Hear, hear!
