Easy Ways to Prepare for Your Hearing Test

Preparing for a hearing test is much easier than studying for an exam, but there’s still a little bit of work to do beforehand that’ll make the test run smoother. A hearing test is certainly not a scary or painful thing but preparing for it in the right ways will help your audiologist get a more accurate picture of the state of your hearing. Here, we have some very easy ways to prepare for a hearing test – let’s go through them briefly!

Ask someone to come along

Be sure to ask someone who knows you well to come along to a hearing test with you. It’s good to have someone who interacts with you on a regular basis in the appointment room, as it can help the hearing healthcare professional to get a more accurate picture of how well you hear on a day-to-day basis. 

Clean out your ears

It might be something your parents told you a lot when you were younger when you simply weren’t listening, but you actually are going to have to clean out your ears for a hearing test! Clearing out your ears ahead of time can help to ensure you won’t have to deal with any wax build ups or other ear debris during the appointment itself. 

Make sure you’re careful with how you clean your ears here. Don’t use cotton swabs or anything smaller than your own finger. Wet a cloth with some warm water and gently rub the inner part of your ear that you can reach. 

Have a list of your medical history

Your hearing healthcare professional will need to have a clear picture of any medications you take, as well as any chronic illnesses you live with and they may even ask you about any head injuries in your past that might have affected your hearing ability. Make sure you list your medical history out ahead of time to make this part of the exam faster and easier. 

Keep noise to a minimum

Before a hearing exam takes place, you’re going to need to keep loud noise to a minimum. For example, if you’re someone who likes to play loud noise over earphones, be sure to keep this noise to a low level at least two days before you go in for your appointment. If you work in a nosy area, pick up some earplugs for your shifts. 

Only attend if you’re feeling well

Finally, if you’ve currently got a cold or you’re otherwise feeling unwell, be sure to call up and reschedule your hearing test. Being stuffed up in the nose can affect how well you can hear, as your sinuses can reach all the way to your ears, and you wouldn’t want to pass on an infection to anyone else in the facility either! 

Preparing for a hearing test can be very, very easy! It’s as simple as the procedure itself, and it’ll make sure you get a true, accurate reading on your hearing.