BBC Radio Bristol Archives - Meadows+Wood Hearing Care https://meadowswood.co.uk/tag/bbc-radio-bristol/ Your Hearing Matters Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:14:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://meadowswood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cropped-1090-Meadows-Wood-Plus-Materials-FEB23-v5-06-32x32.png BBC Radio Bristol Archives - Meadows+Wood Hearing Care https://meadowswood.co.uk/tag/bbc-radio-bristol/ 32 32 Five Signs It Might Be Time for a Hearing Test https://meadowswood.co.uk/2026/09/10/five-signs-it-might-be-time-for-a-hearing-test/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:47:14 +0000 https://meadowswood.co.uk/?p=7556 Turning the TV up but still missing words? Asking people to repeat themselves? Toby runs through the everyday signs that are worth getting checked.

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Toby Meadows, Audiologist & Principal

Earlier this year I joined John Darvell on BBC Radio Bristol to talk about hearing loss, and one thing came up again and again. Most people do not realise their hearing has changed until somebody else points it out. It creeps up so gradually that by the time it is noticeable, it has usually been happening for a while. So rather than waiting for someone else to say something, here are five everyday signs worth paying attention to yourself.

A sign you might need a hearing test - asking people to repeat themselves

1. You keep asking people to repeat themselves

It happens occasionally to everyone, but if it is becoming a regular feature of conversations, particularly with the same one or two people, that is worth noticing. It is often not that people are speaking too quietly, it is that certain sounds are becoming harder to pick out.

A sign you might need a hearing test - tuning the TV volume up more and more

2. The television volume keeps creeping up, but people still sound like they are mumbling

Turning up the volume does not always help, because most age related hearing loss affects the higher frequencies first, the consonant sounds like S, T, F and SH that make speech easy to follow. Turn the volume up and everything gets louder, but it does not necessarily get clearer.

A sign you might need a hearing test - you are avoiding noisy places

3. You are avoiding noisy places

Restaurants and cafes, even family gatherings can be noisy. If you have started quietly steering away from busier environments because following conversation there feels tiring or frustrating, that is a pattern worth paying attention to rather than working around.

A sign you might need a hearing test - someone close to you has mentioned it

4. Someone close to you has mentioned it

This is usually the moment people finally book in, and there is no shame in it. Partners, children and friends often notice before we do ourselves, simply because they are the ones repeating things. If it has come up more than once, it is worth listening.

Signs you might need a hearing test - it has been a while since your last check

5. It has been a while since your last check

Hearing changes gradually, so a hearing check every few years is a sensible habit, in the same way you would get your eyes tested. If you cannot remember your last one, that is usually a sign it is due.

What to do next

None of these signs mean there is necessarily a problem, but they are all good reasons to get checked. We offer a straightforward hearing screening at all our clinics, and I have written a separate guide explaining exactly what a screening involves and how it differs from a full assessment, if you would like to read more before booking.

Call us on 01934 248426 to arrange a screening, or drop in to our Worle clinic where walk-ins are welcome daily.

BOOK A CONSULTATION

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