Do you experience your hearing getting worse in the winter or at the height of hay fever season and after a transatlantic flight? Occasionally seasonal issues can temporarily affect the ears and be just enough to make a hearing test seem “worse” than your usual baseline.
How seasons mess with your hearing
Congestion, inflammation and mucus from colds, sinus infections or allergies can block the Eustachian tubes (little passageways that help equalise pressure behind each eardrum.) You may observe that these are blocked if you have:
A muffled or “underwater” feeling
Ear pressure or popping
Temporary ringing (tinnitus)
Hearing that comes and goes
Flying also can cause similar symptoms as ears that do not clear because changes in the air pressure are rapid then lead to irritation of an already congested middle ear.
Retest (and when not)
Often, if you sat a hearing test when feeling unwell it is worthwhile doing another after your symptoms are completely gone. In general, you should wait 2-4 weeks (until the swelling and fluid has resided) after a cold or sinus infection is gone. For a Hearing Test Bristol, visit https://www.imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/bristol/
The optimal time to test is when your allergic symptoms are at their usual baseline (i.e. not during a flare-up), unless this information would be useful for how much they impact you.
Seek treatment earlier if you are not getting better.
Arrange a review if:
Hearing loss remains for more than 2–3 weeks
You suffer from hearing loss, drainage or dizziness
One ear is a lot worse off than the other
If you are having a sudden hearing loss (this is an emergency, so go see your doctor today)
A retest can serve as a means of affirmation and to make sure the change was just temporary congestion or an underlying hearing problem for which proper support will be necessary.