Examination by an ENT doctor
An ENT doctor looks at the ear canal and eardrum and asks about your symptoms. Any hearing check often starts here.
Methods
Methods and approaches
Hearing raises many practical questions: how it is tested, how to protect your ears from noise and what to do if your hearing has already declined. We describe general approaches, while the choice of specific tests and aids is always up to a specialist.
The most reliable way to protect your hearing has long been known and costs nothing: turn the sound down and give your ears some quiet.
How this section works: we explain the approaches used to test and protect hearing, without naming brands, clinics or prices. We do not compare devices or recommend treatment: choosing tests and support is the job of an ENT doctor and an audiologist.
How hearing is tested
A hearing test is painless and usually doesn't take long. It is arranged and carried out by a specialist.
Audiometry
You listen to quiet sounds of different pitches and signal when you hear them. The result shows how well your hearing works at different frequencies.
Hearing screening for children
Children's hearing is checked at routine check-ups from a very early age. If something worries the parents, it is worth discussing with a paediatrician.
How hearing is protected
Protection comes down to three simple things: less volume, less time in noise and more breaks.
Earplugs
Earplugs reduce noise levels at concerts, while travelling and on building sites. It is important that they sit comfortably in the ear and are the right size.
Volume limit
Many devices let you set a maximum volume and get notifications about your listening load. This is especially useful on children's devices.
Breaks and quiet
Short breaks without sound give your ears time to recover after exposure. They are worth planning in the same way as breaks at work.
How people with reduced hearing are helped
If hearing has declined, there are various ways to help a person hear and communicate. The right option is chosen by a specialist after an assessment.
Hearing aids
A hearing aid is chosen and fitted by a specialist based on the results of a hearing test. Buying one yourself without an assessment does not replace a visit to the doctor.
Implants
For some people with severe hearing loss there are implanted devices. Specialists decide on them after a detailed assessment.
Support in conversation
Family and friends can help: face the person you are talking to, don't shout, and reduce background noise. This makes conversation easier whatever someone's hearing.
When to see a doctor
- Hearing in one or both ears has dropped suddenly — seek help urgently
- Ringing or noise in the ears lasts a long time, keeps coming back or keeps you awake
- You often ask people to repeat themselves or turn up the TV
- An ear feels blocked, hurts or has discharge
- A child does not respond to sounds or starts talking late
- After a head or ear injury, your hearing has changed or you feel dizzy
Read next
- Topics
Hearing topics by group: how the ear works, noise and headphones, children and hearing problems. Also home to the article catalogue.
- Prevention
How to listen to music on headphones and spend time in noisy places without losing your hearing: a clear step-by-step plan.
- Questions
Questions about headphones, noise, children's hearing and hearing tests that are useful to ask your doctor.
- Research
Where hearing data comes from, how to read news about “miracle cures” and which myths are worth forgetting.
Sources
- WHO — materials on safe listening and World Hearing Day
- Textbooks on the physiology of hearing
This guide summarises generally accepted information about hearing as of the date it was prepared. Recommendations from international organisations are updated from time to time, and decisions about your own hearing are made together with a doctor after an examination.