Self-assessment: Do I need a hearing test?

Just answer the four questions below to see whether you should consider getting a hearing test.

Question 1 – Around the table

Do you have trouble following conversations when there are four or more people present?

Question 2 – Family and friends

Have your family or friends suggested that you get your hearing tested?

Question 3 – Understanding what others say

Do you ever struggle to understand what others are saying because you cannot hear them properly?

Question 4 – TV or radio

Do you find yourself turning up the TV or radio, even when the volume is loud enough for others?

60-day

money-back guarantee

280+

local clinics

Life-long

customer aftercare

FREE

hearing tests

Show transcript Hide transcript

Is your hearing as good as it could be?

Hearing loss can affect you at any age. But one thing is true, no matter how old you are: recognising the signs early will benefit you in the long term. Are you:

Asking others to repeat themselves?
Having difficulties understanding people on the phone?
Being told you’ve got the TV up too loud?

If you can relate to any of the above, you might be suffering from a hearing problem.

*Audio*	*Visual*
Music	Volume icon appears on screen. A man is putting a platter of food on a table at a dinner party.
Sound of the cork popping.	Zoom in on a bottle being uncorked.
Sound of wine being poured.	Zoom in on the bottle of wine being poured into a wine glass.
Sound of crisps rustling.	Zoom in on hand taking a crisp from a bowl.
Sound of crisps crunching.	Man is eating crisps.
Sound of water being poured into a glass.	A young woman is pouring a glass of water for an older woman.
Sound of laughter.	People round the table are talking and laughing.
Sounds are muted. There’s a high-pitched ringing.	The ‘mute’ icon appears on screen. Focus on a middle-aged lady. She is looking into the distance while everyone else talking.
The cork pops out of a bottle. People cheer.	A man pours sparkling wine into people’s glasses.
Sound of laughter and conversation.	People are smiling and talking.
Sound of glasses clinking.	Zoom in on glasses being raised in toast. Volume icon appears and below, the caption reads: Life is Worth Hearing. Fade to white. Caption reads: Start your journey to better hearing with an online hearing test. www.hiddenhearing.co.uk

Life is worth hearing

Chances are you have never had a hearing test. Or your last hearing test might have been a while ago. Catching hearing loss early could have a profound impact on your quality of life.

Hearing loss can creep up on you without you really knowing, especially the older you get. In fact, 40% of over 50s will have some degree of loss*. The earlier a hearing loss is detected and treated, the better the outcome for the person.

Modern day hearing aid technology means that there are solutions for all levels of hearing loss and lifestyles; from Bluetooth®-enabled aids that stream sound directly from your phone to your ear, some you can barely see and others that can help manage your tinnitus too. So we’re campaigning for you to test your ears at 55 years. It’s that easy.

Images shows a Hidden Hearing audiologist talking to a customer

What happens at a hearing test?

Our hearing care experts will find out about your lifestyle and do a physical examination of your outer ears. Checking for signs of infection or any damage to the eardrums. Next, your hearing will be tested with headphones, you’ll hear a variety of sounds to see how you respond to different pitches and frequencies. We’ll discuss your results straightaway. If we find any hearing loss, we’ll give you advice on the next steps you need to take.

What happens at a hearing test?

Keep being independent

For Frank, being his own boss used to feel so liberating. But over time, when he began struggling to communicate with his customers, it started to feel limiting.

It took Frank 15 years to build his business. Now, with the right hearing solution, he's confident he'll still be running it for the next 15.

Hidden Hearing’s personalised hearing care keeps his hearing as sharp as his knives so he can be his best every day. See what state-of-the-art hearing technology tailored to your needs can do for your hearing and your life.

Book your free hearing test

Image shows a woman taking a hearing test

How long does it take?

About an hour. During this time, you will find if you have any hearing loss and, if so, a solution that best suits you.

Image shows an audiologist using an otoscope to look inside a woman's ear

Does it hurt?

Not at all. To look at your eardrum we use an otoscope, that fits just inside your ear. For the audiometer test, you’ll wear a standard set of headphones.

Image shows an audiologist introducing himself to Hidden Hearing customers

Should I bring someone with me?

Yes, please do. It’s important to bring along a family member so you can hear a familiar voice for a speech clarity test, and for helping you to decide what to do next.

Who conducts the test?

Our highly trained hearing care professionals are all registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), so you know you are in safe hands.

Show transcript Hide transcript

Watch Sandra’s story to better hearing

Sandra Pierce, 58, from Wales, says, “Before wearing hearing aids, I was losing all my confidence.” Sandra’s life changed for the better once she found the right solution for her hearing loss. Watch her story and see how she wishes she acted sooner.

*Audio*	Visual
My hearing loss came when I was 38, it was quite a shock really.	Sandra is walking through a reception area.
My husband at the time kept saying to me, “I’m talking to you, you’re not listening to me.”	Sandra is shown sitting against a wall with a flowered pattern. She looks into the camera and is laughing.
And it started off as a mild hearing loss but in the last 20 years now it’s literally gone like that [motions a steep decline with hand]. I wanted to train to be a teacher. I’d gone back to do an IT access course. I couldn’t hear what the teacher when they were writing, when he had his back to me writing on the board, or any of the students in front of me, so I had to change tack. It affected my family life, I think… the children – especially my middle son, he’s got such a soft voice. One of the things I used to despair at more than anything was when you had to ask them to repeat themselves and they’d say, “It’s alright Mum, it’s fine, doesn’t matter.” Well it does matter, you do want to be part of their conversation and I used to find that very upsetting. I’ve done a lot of nodding in the right places and sometimes you get caught out because it doesn’t always work. I wanted to go to a networking meeting, but the thought of doing… They used to do these “you have to talk about yourself for a minute”. I couldn’t make out what the lady was asking me in front.	Sandra is now sitting on a sofa in a grand reception room while she is talking to us.
I thought: “there’s got to be something better out there that can help me,” and that’s where I discovered Hidden Hearing.	Sandra is engaging lively conversation. She is sitting across a table from another lady in a dining room.
I think the service and support that I’ve got from Hidden Hearing has been first class, explaining why you should wear you hearing aids every day, and they check to make sure you’re getting on with them, if there’s anything that might need tweaking.	Sandra is sitting in the grand reception room. Sandra is again show engaging in conversation in a dining room.
Being told that you need to wear hearing aids every day for your brain to adjust and get used to them.	Sandra is laughing at what is being said by her companion in the dining room. Sandra is again sitting in the grand reception room.
Well the hearing aids that I wear now are Oticon Opn and they’re more discreet, you’ve got tiny, tiny tubes that run down the side here [motions to ear]. For the first time ever I now wear my hair up so, you know, I can literally wear my hair up and I don’t feel ashamed. I used to feel ashamed of big thick tubes, so they’re quite discreet and the clarity’s wonderful with them.	The camera is now focusing on Sandra’s hair from behind. She is pulling her hair up into a ponytail. Holding her hair with left hand, she is motioning to her right ear, gesturing to where the tubes on her old hearing aid would have been on the outside of her ear.
With my hearing aids and my mobile phone – I absolutely love it – the fact that it’s all Bluetoothed into your ears. Embracing my hearing has been one of the best things for me, my family and my career. It’s just improved year on year since I’ve had my new hearing aids. I’ve now gone from a team of - I had three, I think, three years ago to, I think, we’re up to 67. The best thing about switching my life on with my newfound hearing is I’ve got my confidence back. I’ve got my wiggle back – that’s how I see it – and I’m loving life again.	Sandra is sitting in a dining room, talking with a male and female companion. Sandra is sitting in the grand reception room.
	Screen fades to white and then the Hidden Hearing logo appears.