Hearing loss can have a negative impact on work. It can lead to social isolation. It can even contribute to dementia. And one-third of Americans 65 and older have some level of hearing impairment. Typically they wait years to get tested.
But there’s a scientifically validated hearing test that you can take over the telephone in the privacy of your home for just 5 bucks.
If you remember having a hearing test as a kid, well, this telephone test is nothing like that. The kinds of tests given by doctors and audiologists consist of a series of beeps or hums of various frequencies and volumes. These are called “pure tones.” But because of the huge variability in telephone instruments, this kind of test doesn’t work over the phone.
The hearing test that does work on the telephone takes a completely different approach. It’s based on your ability to pick out speech from a lot of background noise.
via NPR
Image: A hearing test you take on your phone provides immediate, private feedback.
George Doyle/Ocean/Corbis
