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Hearing Tests

I am wondering about the accuracy of online hearing tests. As we get older our ability to hear high frequency sounds is supposed to gradually decline. I imagine this is true for the vast majority of people. But my mother was nearly 100 when she passed away and her hearing was so acute that the nurses in the hospital were dumbfounded when my mother recounted the content of a conversation nearly-whispered between two nurses in the next room.

Since I am well into my 60s now I was concerned whether I have lost a significant amount of my hearing capacity. It seems to me that I can still hear the finest nuances from my system but you don't know what you are not hearing. But since I have always protected my ears from loud sounds of any kind I thought that maybe I could dodge the bullet. So, I took 3 online hearing tests and they came out just about smack on with the same results, which I was happy to see. The results said I have excellent hearing.

Here are the links to the 3 tests I used to test my hearing:

http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearing-test/

http://www.talkclassical.com/17309-extreme-frequencies-hearing-test.html

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

Of course, online tests are not the same as having your hearing tested in a doctor's office. But do they have validity? And, if so, to what extent are they valid? I wish I could find the recent Audiogon thread where someone stated with authority that no one over a certain age (I can't remember the age mentioned) can actually hear above a frequency of 10,000 or 12,000 Hertz (I cannot remember which frequency was quoted).

Do you have any experience with hearing change as we get older and with the validity of hearing tests?
sabai
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
I can't speak to the online tests, but to answer part of your question, some people's hearing can get more sensitive to high frequency at a certain age.
Due to high frequencies starting to bother me, I saw an ENT and an Audiologist recently and I can still hear 19 kHZ tone...no hearing loss at age 55. My mother is 85 and her hearing has become more sensitive over the last few years. If you're concerned, you should get a proper hearing test.
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
Lowrider57,
This is very interesting information. It goes against the accepted wisdom that we inevitably lose hearing as we get older.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,922 posts
 
I think Lowrider57 may be onto something. My mothers hearing got more sensitive to higher frequencies although her hearing acuity, overall, got worse.

There are very few bright recordings that tend to annoy. It's usually a bad recording (that old 'digital' sound) though I shouldn't be hearing them as of now, should I? Maybe it's part hereditary.
It's more akin to noise than music.
Could it be I'm tiring of digital music? :-)

All the best,
Nonoise
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
Sabai, I agree w/ you. My info comes from the ENT and I think the majority of people lose hearing across the high frequencies and the very low as they age. But, the high freq. sensitivity thing does happen to some people. He obviously knew about this phenomenon.
I started to notice my problem when listening to the car stereo/radio...all that sibilance. Then I noticed it when listening to cheap stereos and horn speakers. I have no problem with good HIFI sound except when I hear one of those
harsh-mastered CDs.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
No long ago I had a hearing test done by a professional. I am now 73 and was told I had a slight loss in my left ear and that this was characteristic of those of my age who drove cars before air conditioning. I was also told that obviously I was in no need for a hearing aid. Again, I was told that I need to have wax removed from my ears. This is not news to me as this is a life time problem.

I cannot believe that the lack of control of what your computer's speakers are capable of accurate assessment.
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