Boots hearing tests

• Should I have a hearing test?
• What happens during a hearing test?
• How often should I have a hearing test?

• Where should I go for a hearing test?
• How much does a hearing test cost?
• How old do you have to be for a hearing test?
• Helping a loved one with hearing loss

Because hearing loss is so gradual, it’s not always easy to notice if you’re not hearing as well as you used to. Here are some signs you can look out for:

• The TV is too loud for other members of your family
• You find it difficult to keep up with conversations when there’s background noise
• Chatting on the phone is tricky even when the room is quiet
• You feel like people are mumbling a lot, and you have to ask them to repeat what they’ve said.

Often it’s your loved ones who notice a hearing loss before you do – so they might hint that you’re finding it difficult to hear too.

Hearing loss affects one in six people in the UK. If you’re over 50, we recommend that you have a hearing test every two years to keep an eye on your hearing.

At Boots Hearingcare, they’re completely free and only take 15 minutes – click here or call us on 0345 270 1600 to book your appointment.

A free 15-minute hearing check at Boots Hearingcare is a quick and easy way to find out how well you’re hearing. In your appointment, a Boots Hearingcare expert will…

• Check the health of your ears
• Carry out some simple tests to see how well you’re hearing
• Give you advice about how you can hear better.

If it looks like you might have a hearing loss, we’ll invite you back for a longer, 75-minute appointment so that we can do a more thorough test.

You’re absolutely welcome to bring a friend, partner or family member with you to your hearing test – in fact, it can be really helpful to have someone there to help you remember any advice we give you about your hearing, or to tell us about any situations that they’ve noticed where you aren’t hearing as well as you used to.

Because hearing loss is so gradual, a person with a hearing loss might not even notice it. But it can be frustrating if a loved one seems to be struggling to hear – maybe they have the TV on very loudly, they ask you to repeat yourself a lot, or they have trouble talking to you on the phone. They might even become a little withdrawn and spend less time in social situations because they’re struggling to hear. If you think someone you know has a hearing loss, here are some things you can do for them:

• Chat in quiet places where there’s less background noise
• Make sure they can see your face when you talk – lots of people use basic lip-reading without realising
• Encourage them to book a free hearing check and go with them to their appointment. You could even have your hearing tested too!
• If they need a hearing aid, make sure you’re patient as they get used to hearing better again

You can read this section to find out about how someone with a new hearing aid gets used to using it.