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Hearing Aid Discovery Test in Portland, OR

What is a Hearing Aid Discovery Test?

The World Health Organization projects that by the year 2050, one in every ten people will have debilitating hearing loss that requires intervention. This is even worse as you get older: One in every 3 people over the age of 65 have hearing loss. 

The tricky part is many people don’t even realize they have hearing loss. That’s because it often progresses quite slowly, making any deterioration easy to miss until the damage is irreversible. When you can’t hear the television or your earbuds well, you naturally turn the volume up louder. By turning the volume up louder, you’re damaging your hearing even more!


Detecting hearing loss early helps track your hearing over time and prevents the extra damage that occurs because you turned the volume up. Hearing loss is a serious issue, after all. If left untreated, it can lead to serious issues, including cognitive decline. Why risk that when hearing aid discovery tests are simple and painless?

Our Hearing Aid Discovery Tests in Portland

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With a hearing aid discovery test from our professionals at SmartStep Hearing, you get to:

How Do I Know if My Hearing is Bad, and When Should I Get Tested?

For many people with hearing loss, figuring out that you have a problem is the hardest step. We’ve made it easy, though!

You can take our hearing loss quiz to see if you’re already experiencing the symptoms of hearing loss.


The general guidelines for such hearing aid discovery tests are:

  • If you are under 50 and have no signs of hearing loss: You should generally have your hearing aid discovery tested every 3 years.
  • 50 – 65: You should have your hearing aid discovery tests at least once every two years. One in every four adults who report excellent hearing actually has some hearing loss, so it’s a good idea to get tested even if you aren’t noticing symptoms. 
  • 65 or older: At this age, more than 30 percent of people have hearing loss. You should get your hearing checked annually.

Hearing professionals also recommend that you undergo at least one hearing aid discovery test after reaching the age of 20 in order to establish a hearing baseline.  The frequency of these hearing aid discovery tests can and should change if you begin noticing that you’re having hearing problems.

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Seven Telltale Signs You Need a Hearing Aid Discovery Test

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Consider getting a hearing aid discovery test if you:

  1. Begin to withdraw from social settings. For example, if you avoid going out with friends or co-workers.
  2. Have significant fatigue or memory problems, even if you’re getting enough sleep.
  3. Notice that voices sound muffled or distant when talking to other people.
  4. Have trouble understanding conversations because it feels as though letters or sounds keep dropping out–especially consonants.
  5. Need to consistently turn up the volume on your radio, mobile phone, or television.
  6. Ask others to speak up or repeat themselves frequently.
  7. Can’t understand speech in a crowd or in noisy situations.

If you suspect you are experiencing the symptoms of hearing loss, it’s important to undergo a hearing aid discovery test as quickly as possible. Quick action will help.

How Can I Test My Hearing?

It’s easy to get started. Schedule an appointment with us for a hearing aid discovery test to see if hearing aids will improve your hearing. 


Our hearing aid discovery test will check your ability to hear different frequencies. Most people will lose the ability to hear very low or high frequency sounds before there is any real noticeable loss of regular speech.

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Types of Hearing Aid Discovery Tests in Portland, OR

There are many ways to test your hearing. Depending on what kind of loss we suspect you have, we will perform as many of these tests as we need to in order to get a clear idea of how we can best help you. These tests  include:

 Pure-tone Audiometry

During this test, your hearing aid specialist will instruct you to listen to tones at different frequencies and volumes.

Speech Tests

These tests eschew the quiet room approach in order to determine how well your hearing functions in noisy situations. The idea behind this approach is to mimic how your hearing behaves in life, especially in noisy situations.

There are several other types of tests available, each dedicated to revealing a certain aspect of your hearing health. We’ll examine your overall symptoms and determine which hearing aid discovery tests best meet your needs.

Do you think you can benefit from hearing aids? Call or Text Us Today!

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