Why do we ask you to bring someone with you to your hearing test?

Someone close to you might know the situations you struggle in

When you have a hearing loss, it can sometimes be difficult to know its extent. After all, if you can’t hear something, you might not realise that you’re missing it. And since hearing loss can be gradual, many people don’t realise that they slowly adjust their behaviour to compensate, either by reading lips, positioning themselves with their ‘good ear’ towards the sound they want to hear or avoiding certain situations, like busy places or social events.

Someone you know well might recognise your hearing loss before you do. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “It often takes 10 years for an individual to recognise that they have a hearing problem, but a shorter time for significant others.”

Any additional insight into your hearing can be invaluable for our hearing care experts when it comes to finding the right solution for you.

  They’ll be part of the test

When you bring someone you know well to your appointment, we’ll also be able to carry out a ‘familiar voice test’. Your friend or relative will read out a number of words from a list and, without being able to look at them, you’ll have to repeat the words back.

While this sounds simple and easy, you might be surprised by the results. For example, DJ Mark Doyle was in denial for years about his hearing loss.

But the ‘familiar voice test’ really helped highlight just how bad Mark’s hearing loss had become. He remembers: “My wife had to read out 20 words from a list, I wasn’t allowed to look at her and had to repeat them. Out of the 20 words, I got six correct. We repeated the test. This time I was able to try hearing aids and I got 19 of them right.”

And the same test helped Derren Wing realise that he had a problem, “The Hidden Hearing audiologist actually put a pair of hearing aids on me. It was amazing. He put the radio on. He had my fiancée Sarah ask me questions, and she walked to nearly the front of the clinic and I was still answering them. And that was when I really noticed that I definitely had a problem.”

 Your hearing doesn’t just affect you

Many of our customers call their hearing aids ‘life-changing’. But it’s not just your life that stands to change with hearing aids, but the lives of those closest to you…

“Having my wife there helped too, as it demonstrated to her that I haven't been ignoring her or choosing to mishear.” – Simon, via Trustpilot

“My partner came back after walking our dog this morning, wearing his aids, and said that he so enjoyed hearing the birds that he has not heard for years. I was so touched as I had felt he had missed out on so much. His assessment was so informative, considerate and most professional. I was welcomed and included in the process.” – M. Fear, via Trustpilot

“I was very happy with the meeting which was conducted in a very friendly manner and included my wife who was able to give an input about the difficulties involved with dealing with a husband who has severe hearing loss.” – Neville, via Trustpilot

Treating hearing loss early can significantly improve your quality of life. Book your free hearing test today, just follow the link. And remember to bring someone with you to your test!

Or you can take our online hearing test. It’s free, takes five minutes and is a great way to get a general idea of how well you can hear.

Sources

1. World Report on Hearing, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2021.