Five Signs You Need a Hearing Test in Westport
Hearing loss rarely happens all at once. For most people, it develops gradually over time — which makes it easy to miss until it starts affecting daily life in noticeable ways. Knowing what to look for can help you decide when it's time to schedule a hearing test with an audiologist.
At Fairfield County Audiology, we see patients at every stage of hearing loss, from those who suspect a minor change to those who've been struggling for years without realizing it. Here are five signs that it may be time to come in.
1. You Frequently Ask People to Repeat Themselves
If you find yourself saying "what?" or "can you say that again?" on a regular basis, that's worth paying attention to. Asking for repetition occasionally is normal, but when it becomes a pattern — particularly in conversations with multiple people or in quieter settings where hearing should be easy — it often points to some degree of hearing loss.
2. You Have Trouble Hearing in Noisy Environments
Struggling to follow a conversation in a restaurant or at a family gathering is one of the most common early signs of hearing loss. The ability to separate speech from background noise is one of the first things affected as hearing changes. Many people chalk this up to loud environments, but if it's become a consistent frustration, a hearing evaluation can clarify what's going on.
3. You've Turned the TV Volume Up — and Others Have Noticed
If family members or housemates have commented that the TV is too loud, or if you find yourself needing the volume significantly higher than others prefer, that's a practical signal your hearing may have shifted. This is a pattern we hear from patients frequently, and it's a good reason to get a baseline evaluation on the books.
4. You Hear Ringing or Buzzing in Your Ears
Tinnitus — a ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in one or both ears — is often associated with hearing loss, though not always. If you've started noticing sounds that others around you can't hear, a comprehensive hearing test can help identify whether tinnitus is connected to any underlying hearing change and what options may be available to you.
5. It's Been More Than a Year Since Your Last Test — or You've Never Had One
Many adults have never had a formal hearing evaluation. If you're over 50, we recommend annual hearing tests even if you haven't noticed any changes. Baseline testing is valuable because it gives you and your audiologist a clear picture of where your hearing stands today, making it much easier to detect meaningful changes in the future.
Hearing loss that goes unaddressed has been linked to cognitive decline and social isolation over time. The good news is that identifying a change early opens up more options for managing it effectively.
What to Expect From a Hearing Evaluation
A comprehensive hearing test at our Westport practice typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. We don't rush through appointments. Dr. Marotto takes the time to understand your concerns, your lifestyle, and your hearing history before conducting a full evaluation. Testing may include pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanometry, and Speech-in-Noise (SIN) testing to assess how well you hear in real-world conditions. After testing, we walk you through your results and talk through what they mean for you.
If hearing aids are recommended, we work with leading manufacturers including Oticon, Starkey, Widex, and ReSound. Properly fitted hearing aids from a licensed audiologist — combined with follow-up care — consistently provide better outcomes than over-the-counter devices, which are not programmed to your specific hearing profile or monitored over time.
Schedule Your Hearing Test in Westport
If any of these signs sound familiar, we'd encourage you to schedule a hearing evaluation sooner rather than later. As Westport's only audiologist-owned practice, we provide personalized care focused entirely on your hearing health. Call us at (203) 628-2142 or visit fcaudiology.com to book an appointment. We're here Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
