Do you want to have a hearing test but aren’t sure of where to go?
Online hearing tests are convenient because they are relatively cheap, fast, and easy to complete. There are generally two options for completing hearing tests.
You can go to a local hearing clinic and have a test conducted, or you can check your hearing from home by taking an online hearing test.
For people that live far from an audiologist, have hectic schedules, or do not want to deal with excessive medical costs, an online hearing test is an easy solution.
Understanding Online Hearing Tests: Why They Matter
Online tests are particularly useful due to the importance of having regular hearing aid checkups. People that work in construction, the music industry, and other areas where a lot of high-level noise is produced for extended periods of time are predisposed to sustaining damage to their ears, so regular checkups are a must!
Audicus has an online hearing test that is quick and easy to use! You can check your hearing strength in 10 minutes and all it requires is a pair of headphones.
The Different Types of Online Hearing Tests: Calibrated and Non-Calibrated
These online hearing tests can be categorized into two groups.
Calibrated Online Hearing Tests
The first, calibrated hearing tests, can be used to assess your absolute hearing threshold–that is, the faintest sound that you are capable of hearing. The best online hearing tests are reliable and valid.
This group of hearing tests requires a bit more care to be completed properly. The user of this test creates the sound stimulus in whichever room she chooses to conduct the test inside, and she also needs to match the computer volume to this sound stimulus.
Non-Calibrated Online Hearing Tests
Online hearing tests that are non-calibrated, on the other hand, work by having the user turn up the volume on her computer until she can hear a tone. The resulting hearing test is centered around the fact that this is the faintest tone that she is able to hear.
Of all of the hearing tests available online, most of them are non-calibrated.
Checking Your Hearing on Your Computer: Who The Test is For
You don’t have to actually experience hearing-related problems to complete an online hearing test. In fact, many people who have hearing loss are not aware that they have it.
The symptoms can be very minor and can sometimes be indistinguishable from what people with healthy hearing normally experience, and seemingly innocuous factors such as exposure to construction or loud music can be to blame.
Difficulty hearing people speak in loud settings, misinterpreting words during conversation, ear pain and loss of balance can all be signs that your ears may be affected by hearing loss.
Supplements to Online Hearing Tests: Alternative Ways to Check Your Hearing
An online hearing test isn’t a substitute for regular checkups. Although it is common for hearing to decline with age, a medical professional is best at determining whether there is anything unusual about changes in hearing.
If you notice that your hearing has experienced a sharp decline, you’re newly experiencing a great disparity in the hearing capabilities of your right and left ears or you’re experiencing pain in your ears then it is essential that you go to an audiologist. Be sure to keep your ears happy and healthy!