If conversations are becoming harder to follow, speak to your GP about a hearing check rather than deciding it is simply part of getting older. NHS guidance says hearing loss has different possible causes and advises against diagnosing it yourself.[1]
This is general information and signposting, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It offers a way to prepare for an appointment and explain what you need, without choosing a device or treatment for you.
Describe what has changed in your own words
You do not need medical language to start the conversation. The NHS lists difficulty following speech in noisy places, asking people to repeat themselves and turning up the television among common signs of hearing loss.[1] Those are useful things to mention, rather than a test you have to pass before asking for help.
For your appointment notes, describe a recent occasion: perhaps you could follow one person at lunch but lost the conversation when everyone spoke. Note when you first noticed the change and whether it seems to involve one ear or both. If someone else noticed first, you can include their observation without letting it replace your own account.
Write down the situations you most want help with. Hearing a grandchild on the phone, following a club meeting or understanding the receptionist are specific things to discuss. Keep the note short enough to take with you, on paper if that is easier than using a phone.
Check whether you need a quicker response
Do not wait for a routine hearing appointment if the change is sudden. NHS guidance says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, hearing that has worsened over days or weeks, or hearing loss with symptoms such as earache or discharge.[1]
The NHS page linked here describes the England route. If you live elsewhere in the UK, contact your GP or your nation’s urgent health service for the appropriate local route. Explain the change itself, including when it started, rather than asking only for a routine test.
An online hearing check is not a substitute for that urgent contact. The NHS describes online checks as a way to find out whether a face-to-face hearing test may be needed.[2] Do not use a reassuring screen result to dismiss a sudden change.
Ask how to arrange the right appointment
The NHS says a GP can refer you to an audiologist, a hearing specialist, for a free NHS hearing test.[2] Ask your practice how the local pathway works and what happens after the referral. If booking by telephone is difficult, ask which other contact methods the practice offers.
Before choosing a pharmacy or optician appointment, check what you are booking. The NHS explains that these hearing tests are often free, but treatment such as hearing aids may have a charge.[2] A free test does not tell you what any later offer will cost. Ask whether the appointment is NHS-funded or private and request clear information before agreeing to anything paid.
Consider the practical arrangements too. Ask where to go, whether there is step-free access and whether you can bring someone if you would like support. You can ask a friend to help with travel or notes while keeping the questions and decisions yours.
Make it easier to follow the discussion
Tell the person seeing you that you are finding hearing difficult, including at the reception desk. NHS communication suggestions include reducing background noise, facing the speaker and asking people to speak clearly, repeat themselves or write things down.[1]
You could ask for the main points in writing and check back anything you have not understood. If a companion comes with you, agree beforehand whether you want them to take notes or help remember a particular question. Ask staff to speak to you directly.
For everyday conversations, try making the same request specific: ask to move away from a noisy doorway or turn down the television while you talk. Choose one familiar setting in which to explain what would help, rather than feeling you must tell everyone at once.
Leave knowing what happens next
NHS guidance says hearing test results are usually discussed at the end of the appointment, including whether more tests are needed.[2] Before leaving, ask what the next step is, who will contact you and whom to ask if you have not heard back. Keep any written information with your appointment details.
For today, write down one situation that has become harder and contact your GP practice about the appropriate next step. If the change matches the urgent signs above, use the urgent route instead. More reading about everyday life in later years is in the Seasoned Mind hub.
