Temporary factors can make a hearing test result worse than your true hearing. A few simple steps help.
Before the test
- Avoid loud noise — including engine rooms, power tools and loud music — for at least a day before the test where you can.
- If you have a cold, blocked ears or an ear infection, tell the examiner; it may be better to retest when it has cleared.
- Do not try to clean wax out with cotton buds. If you think wax is a problem, ask a healthcare professional.
During the test
- Respond to every tone you hear, even very faint ones.
- Keep still and stay relaxed.
- Tell the tester if you have tinnitus — it can make faint tones harder to detect.
Bring
Previous audiometry reports, any specialist letters, and details of hearing aids if you use them.
Sources
- ILO / IMO — Guidelines on the medical examinations of seafarers (2011) (opens in a new tab)
- World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss — fact sheet (opens in a new tab)
Links go to the original publishers. SeafarerFit is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.
SeafarerFit provides educational information, health calculators, screening tools and medical-examination preparation resources. It does not provide diagnosis, treatment, medical certification or official determination of fitness for sea service.
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