When Should an Adult Get a Hearing Test?
The short answer: a baseline test at age 50 if you've had no significant noise exposure, earlier if you have, and then every 2 to 3 years through your 50s, annually from your 60s. But the honest answer is more nuanced. Here's when to get tested, what triggers a sooner check, and why a baseline result matters even when your hearing is fine.
The recommended schedule
By 40: baseline if you've had any significant noise exposure
By 50: baseline regardless of noise exposure history
60s: every 2 to 3 years (and free at Hear Now Clinic)
70s onwards: every 2 to 3 years, with closer monitoring if loss is present
This schedule isn't arbitrary. Age-related hearing loss typically starts being measurable in the 50s and accelerates from 60. Catching it early gives the best treatment outcomes.
Trigger events that warrant testing sooner
Significant noise exposure
Concerts, gigs, festivals attended regularly. Power tools used without protection. Industrial noise. Shooting. Military service. Any of these should prompt a baseline by 30 to 40, with periodic re-testing thereafter.
New tinnitus
Ringing, hissing or buzzing in the ears, especially if persistent, is often a sign of high-frequency hearing damage. Get a hearing test promptly, particularly if the tinnitus is one-sided or the hearing loss is sudden and onset with 24 to 48 hours.
Family complaints
If a partner, adult child or close colleague has commented on your hearing, get tested. They notice patterns you don't.
After certain medications
High-dose aspirin courses, certain antibiotics (gentamicin, vancomycin), certain chemotherapy drugs, certain antimalarials. If you're prescribed any of these long-term, ask your GP whether baseline and follow-up audiograms are advised.
Family history
Parents or siblings with hearing loss in their 50s significantly raises your own risk. Earlier baseline testing is sensible.
Head injury
Concussion or more significant head trauma can cause hearing loss, tinnitus or auditory processing changes. A hearing test should be part of post-injury follow-up.
Sudden change in either ear
Sudden onset hearing loss in one ear is an emergency. See an ENT department or A&E within 72 hours, not a hearing test next week. Steroid treatment within that window is associated with significantly better recovery.
Why a baseline matters even when your hearing is fine
A baseline test at 50 gives you a snapshot of your hearing at that point. If your hearing changes ten years later, comparing the new audiogram to the baseline tells us whether the loss is recent and rapid, gradual and age-related, or has a specific pattern.
Without a baseline we're guessing about what's normal for you. With one, we have a personal benchmark.
Free vs paid testing
NHS hearing tests for adults in NI are available through your GP via Trust audiology. Typically with a wait time of several weeks to several months.
Private hearing tests are widely available with same-week appointments. At Hear Now Clinic the test is free for over 60s and £100 for under 60s, including the full diagnostic protocol and report.
A free online screener (Action on Hearing Loss, British Society of Audiology) gives a 10-minute directional answer at home. It won't replace a proper diagnostic test but it'll tell you whether to book one.
What a diagnostic test gives you that an online screener doesn't
Frequency-specific thresholds across all frequencies, ear by ear
Bone conduction testing to identify the type of loss
Otoscopy to identify wax, eardrum or canal issues
Discussion of results in context of your real life
A written diagnostic report you can refer to later
If you're still unsure
Most people put off their first hearing test by several years. Nobody has ever told me they wished they'd waited longer. The test is short, painless, often free, and the result is genuinely useful even when it's good news.
If you're reading this and any of the trigger events apply, book.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth getting tested if I don't notice any problem? Yes. A baseline is useful in itself, and many adults have measurable mild loss they've adapted to without realising. Early identification is associated with better long-term outcomes.
Will my GP send me for a hearing test? If you have specific symptoms, your GP can refer you to NHS audiology. For routine testing, private direct-access is usually quicker.
Are online hearing tests accurate? Directional, not diagnostic. A good online screener identifies likely loss in many cases but isn't reliable enough for clinical decisions. Use it as a prompt to book a proper test.
What age do children get hearing tests? All NI newborns are screened at birth. Children also get testing in primary school. Outside of those, GP referral covers concerns.
How much does it cost privately? £100 at Hear Now Clinic for under 60s. Free for over 60s.
Can I be tested if I'm feeling unwell with a cold? Sometimes. Temporary middle-ear fluid from colds can affect results. We may reschedule if you're actively unwell.
