We service our cars regularly, visit the dentist twice a year, and schedule annual health checks with our GP: yet hearing health often falls to the bottom of the priority list. Many Australians only think about their hearing when communication becomes noticeably difficult, by which time significant damage may have already occurred. The truth is that hearing loss develops gradually, often over years or even decades, making it difficult to detect without proper assessment.
Regular hearing checks help protect quality of life, relationships and possibly cognitive health as we age. But how often should you actually have your hearing checked? It depends on your age, lifestyle, medical history and noise exposure. Below is a general guide to testing intervals across adult life, and the situations that call for more frequent monitoring.
Why Preventive Hearing Care Matters
Untreated hearing loss doesn’t exist in isolation. Research links unaddressed hearing loss with social isolation, depression, cognitive decline and dementia. The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention identified hearing loss as one of the largest potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia; its 2024 update estimated it accounts for about 7% of cases.
Early detection and appropriate management may help reduce these risks. Modern hearing assessments go well beyond the simple “raise your hand when you hear a beep” tests some of us remember from school. Comprehensive adult hearing evaluations include speech-in-noise testing (which reflects real-world listening challenges), tympanometry (to assess middle ear function), and real ear measurement (REM) when fitting hearing devices: a verification step that ensures any recommended technology is properly calibrated to your unique ear anatomy and hearing loss profile.
Preventive hearing care means catching changes early, when intervention is most effective and before communication difficulties impact your work, relationships, and independence.
Recommended Hearing Test Intervals by Age
Adults Under 50 Without Risk Factors
If you’re under 50 with no occupational noise exposure, no family history of early hearing loss, and no concerning symptoms, a baseline hearing assessment every three to five years is generally sufficient. This establishes your hearing “fingerprint” and provides a reference point for detecting future changes.
However, even in this lower-risk group, an initial baseline assessment in your thirties or early forties is invaluable. Many people assume their hearing is fine simply because they’ve never had it properly tested: establishing that baseline means you’ll have comparison data if concerns arise later.
Adults 50 to 60 Years
From age 50 onwards, hearing test frequency should increase to every two to three years, even without noticeable symptoms. This is when age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) typically begins, affecting the high-frequency sounds first. These changes are often too subtle to notice day-to-day but become apparent during comprehensive audiometric testing.
During this decade, you might notice you’re asking people to repeat themselves occasionally, struggling slightly in noisy restaurants, or turning up the television volume. These are signals that regular testing is particularly important. Speech-in-noise testing becomes especially relevant at this stage, as it often reveals difficulties before pure-tone audiometry shows significant changes.
Adults 60+ Years
Once you reach 60, an annual hearing assessment is a sensible routine. Age-related hearing loss accelerates during this period, and more frequent monitoring allows for timely intervention before communication difficulties significantly impact quality of life.
Annual testing also helps audiologists track the rate of change, which can be clinically significant. A sudden or asymmetric decline might warrant medical investigation, whereas gradual bilateral change is more consistent with typical presbycusis. Regular assessments make it much less likely that something concerning is missed.
If you’re already using hearing aids or other assistive listening devices, annual reviews are essential not just for hearing assessment but also for device maintenance, programming adjustments, and REM verification to ensure optimal performance.
High-Risk Groups Requiring More Frequent Testing
Certain factors substantially increase your risk of hearing loss and warrant more frequent monitoring, regardless of age.
Occupational Noise Exposure
If you work in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, entertainment venues, aviation, or the military, or have in the past, annual hearing tests are sensible. In NSW, employers must arrange audiometric testing for workers who frequently need hearing protection because of noise above the exposure standard (85 dB(A) averaged over eight hours, or a peak of 140 dB(C)). Even if you’ve changed careers, past noise exposure keeps you at higher risk.
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) typically affects hearing in a characteristic pattern, creating a “notch” around 4000 Hz on an audiogram. Regular testing allows early detection and reinforces the importance of hearing protection in ongoing noise exposure.
Ototoxic Medications
Certain medications can damage the delicate structures of the inner ear. If you’re taking or have recently completed treatment with ototoxic medications, including some chemotherapy drugs (particularly platinum-based agents like cisplatin), certain antibiotics (aminoglycosides such as gentamicin), high-dose aspirin, or loop diuretics, ask about having your hearing monitored before, during and after treatment.
Your oncologist or prescribing physician should coordinate this monitoring, but it’s worth advocating for yourself if hearing testing hasn’t been mentioned. Ototoxicity can occur during treatment or even months afterward, making follow-up assessments crucial.
Family History of Hearing Loss
Genetic factors play a significant role in both age-related and early-onset hearing loss. If close family members (parents or siblings) experienced hearing loss before age 60, or if there’s a family history of genetic hearing conditions, consider starting regular assessments earlier and maintaining a more frequent testing schedule: every two years from age 40, or annually from 50.
Chronic Health Conditions
Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune conditions all increase hearing loss risk through various mechanisms affecting cochlear blood supply and cellular function. If you’re managing any of these conditions, discuss appropriate hearing monitoring intervals with your GP and audiologist; an annual check is often reasonable.
Warning Signs That You Shouldn’t Wait
Between scheduled assessments, certain red flags warrant immediate attention:
- Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears (this is a medical emergency requiring same-day assessment)
- New or worsening tinnitus, particularly if unilateral or pulsatile
- Ear pain, discharge, or persistent blockage sensation
- Dizziness or balance problems accompanied by hearing changes
- Difficulty following conversations in quiet environments
- Needing to significantly increase television or radio volume compared to others
These symptoms may indicate conditions requiring urgent medical referral, from impacted earwax (easily remedied) to acoustic neuromas or sudden sensorineural hearing loss (requiring time-sensitive intervention).
What to Expect During a Comprehensive Hearing Assessment
Knowing what happens during a full hearing test can ease any apprehension about booking. At an audiology clinic, you can expect:
Case History: Your audiologist will discuss your hearing concerns, medical history, noise exposure, medications, and family history. This context is crucial for interpreting test results and identifying risk factors.
Otoscopy: Visual examination of your ear canals and eardrums to identify obstructions, infections, or structural concerns.
Pure-Tone Audiometry: Testing your hearing thresholds across different frequencies using headphones or insert earphones, establishing your audiogram.
Speech Testing: Assessing your ability to hear and understand speech at various volumes and in different listening conditions, often including background noise.
Tympanometry: Measuring middle ear function and eardrum mobility to identify issues like fluid, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or ossicular problems.
Real Ear Measurement (if applicable): If hearing aids are recommended or you’re already using them, REM verifies that amplification matches your prescription and accounts for your individual ear canal acoustics: an essential but often overlooked verification step.
At The Audiology Place, a full diagnostic hearing assessment takes 90 minutes, and you’ll get a clear explanation of the results, recommendations and next steps before you leave.
Taking Action: Your Hearing Health Timeline
Creating a personal hearing health timeline can help you stay on track:
- Under 50, no risk factors: Baseline test, then every 3 to 5 years
- 50 to 60 years: Every 2 to 3 years
- 60+ years: Annually
- High-risk groups (noise exposure, ototoxic medications, family history, chronic illness): Annually or as recommended by your healthcare team
- Current hearing aid users: Annual review minimum, with additional appointments for adjustments as needed
Set reminders in your phone, link hearing checks to other annual health appointments, or contact your local audiology clinic to schedule regular reviews in advance.
Moving Forward With Confidence
Preventive hearing care is an investment in independence, relationships and quality of life. Regular hearing assessments allow early detection when intervention is most effective, before the cumulative impact of untreated hearing loss takes its toll.
Whether you’re due for a baseline assessment, approaching an age where more frequent monitoring is recommended, or fall into a high-risk category, taking that first step is straightforward. Comprehensive hearing testing is non-invasive and painless, and it tells you a great deal about a sense we often take for granted.
The Audiology Place is an independent, family-run clinic in Epping and Forestville. If you’re due for a hearing assessment, contact us to book.
