This content has been created in compliance with relevant laws including the Medical Law.
If mother's hearing loss is suspected in Yongin·Osan, hearing tests through hearing aid consultation can all be done at once
"Why is the TV sound so quiet?" Have you ever seen your mother turning up the volume on her own? This behavior is one of the representative early signals of age-related hearing loss. Rather than simply dismissing it as "her hearing has gotten a bit weaker," receiving precise hearing tests and hearing aid consultations at an appropriate time has a significant impact on the quality of life thereafter.
According to materials from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Health Information Portal, age-related hearing loss cannot be improved through medication, and auditory rehabilitation through hearing aids is a key response. Based on the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's 2025 report as cited by Bravo My Life, 52.9% of men and 40.7% of women in their 70s or older suffer from moderate or greater hearing loss. This is an issue that affects far more people than expected.
However, symptoms that appear to be hearing loss may sometimes stem from medical causes such as excessive earwax or otitis media, so it is advisable to also get an otolaryngologist's evaluation. Depending on the results of the precise testing at the hearing center, the direction of subsequent response changes, so accurately identifying the current hearing status is the starting point.
What is Age-Related Hearing Loss? Why the TV Volume Changes and the Stages of Progression
Age-related hearing loss occurs as the cochlear nerve cells gradually degenerate with age. In particular, hearing loss begins in the high-frequency (high-pitched) range first, resulting in a state where "sound is heard but the words are not clear." This is why no matter how much you turn up the TV volume, the dialogue does not sound clear.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Health Information Portal explains that age-related hearing loss progresses gradually and cannot be improved by medication, and warns that if left untreated it can lead to social isolation, depression, and increased dementia risk. This is why early detection and response are important.
The table below summarizes the main symptoms and recommended responses by hearing loss progression stage. It was prepared with reference to Medical News (citing remarks by Professor Seo Jae-hyun of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University) and related clinical data.
| Hearing Loss Stage | Hearing Level (dB) | Main Symptoms | Recommended Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 25dB or less | No problems with everyday conversation | Regular hearing monitoring |
| Mild hearing loss | 26~40dB | Difficulty hearing faint sounds or whispers, slightly raising TV volume | Hearing test and professional consultation recommended |
| Moderate hearing loss | 41~55dB | Difficulty with general conversation and TV viewing, must raise volume significantly | Hearing aid use actively recommended |
| Moderately-severe hearing loss | 56~70dB | Difficulty hearing even loud sounds, phone conversations difficult | Hearing aid use necessary, auditory rehabilitation should be combined |
| Severe hearing loss or above | 71dB or more | Difficulty hearing almost all sounds | Professional rehabilitation with hearing aids or cochlear implants necessary |
From the level of moderate hearing loss (41~55dB), both everyday conversation and TV viewing become inconvenient and hearing aid use is recommended. However, since the appropriate response direction for each hearing loss stage varies greatly from person to person, judgment based on professional hearing test results is important.
hanmihearing Auditory Rehabilitation Center's Testing and Consultation Procedures — National Network Based in Choin-gu, Yongin
At the hanmihearing Auditory Rehabilitation Center, where a master's degree or higher-educated specialist audiologist is stationed, precise testing with university hospital-grade double soundproof booths, comparative experiences of six major global brands, and personalized fitting are all conducted in one visit based on 40 years of accumulated clinical expertise.
The flow from first visit to hearing aid fitting is as follows.
- ✓ STEP 1 — Ear Canal Inspection: First, we check for conditions such as earwax or inflammation that could affect hearing aid fitting.
- ✓ STEP 2 — University Hospital-Grade Double Soundproof Booth Precise Hearing Test: In an environment free from external noise interference, accurate hearing levels are measured. There is a difference in accuracy compared to testing in a general noisy environment.
- ✓ STEP 3 — Professional Audiologist Specialist Consultation: Based on test results, we provide guidance by comprehensively considering the type and degree of hearing loss and your living environment.
- ✓ STEP 4 — Comparative Experience with Six Major Global Hearing Aid Brands: You can directly try on and compare six global market-verified brands including Oticon, Signia, Phonak, Belton, Starkey, and Widex. This is a process of confirming actual wearing comfort and sound rather than just looking at brand names.
- ✓ STEP 5 — Customized Fitting and Follow-up Care Based on Real-Ear Measurement (REM): Real-ear measurement is a process that objectively verifies how the hearing aid actually delivers sound inside the ear. According to related professional materials (The Viewers), since everyone's ear canal shape differs, customized fitting appropriate to each individual determines wearing satisfaction even with the same hearing level.
For elderly with limited mobility, lifetime free home care (visiting follow-up management) service allows continuous management without visiting the center. However, the initial precise hearing test is recommended to be conducted directly in the double soundproof booth environment for accuracy.
Responses may differ depending on individual constitution and symptom severity.
Before Mother's Hearing Aid Consultation, Check These Situations First
Before deciding on a hearing aid consultation, checking the items below together can be helpful. If multiple items apply, early testing is recommended.
- ✓ You are setting the TV volume much higher than family members
- ✓ The frequency of asking "What?" during conversations has increased
- ✓ Your mother is uncomfortable with or avoids phone conversations
- ✓ She does not participate well in conversations in settings with multiple people
- ✓ She hears well in quiet places but cannot hear in noisy areas
- ✓ She complains of tinnitus (ear ringing)
Why is early testing important? According to expert columns (Media Fine), if hearing loss is neglected for a long time, not only the ability to hear sounds but also "speech intelligibility" (the ability to distinguish and understand speech) can deteriorate. With diminished speech intelligibility, even with hearing aid use, it becomes difficult to accurately understand speech, so earlier testing and response is helpful if possible.
Have you checked for health insurance hearing aid support? According to Medical News, depending on whether you are registered with hearing disability status, up to 1.31 million won (per one ear) can be supported through health insurance auxiliary device benefits. Whether you are eligible for support and the procedures can be confirmed together during center consultation.
Not only residents in the Yongin·Osan area but also those living in nearby areas such as Suwon hearing aids, Hwaseong hearing aids, and Pyeongtaek hearing tests can visit conveniently.
Check Your Mother's Hearing Now at hanmihearing Near Yongin·Osan
If you are concerned about your mother's hearing status, hanmihearing Auditory Rehabilitation Center will help you check step by step from precise hearing tests through personalized hearing aid consultation.
Hearing aid selection is important not just by price or brand, but by comprehensively considering current hearing status, living environment, fitting method, and after-care conditions (The Viewers expert opinion). By experiencing the complete process from testing through comparative experience, fitting, and after-care at one location, you can more clearly understand what direction suits your mother.
For elderly with limited mobility, lifetime free home care service allows after-care management even at home, and specific cost information such as testing fees and hearing aid price ranges can be confirmed separately during center consultation.
Right now when you are concerned about your mother's hearing, taking that first step to accurately understand her current condition is important. If you are wondering about your mother's ear health near Yongin·Osan, feel free to ask us through consultation first.
Before Hearing Aid Consultation, These Questions Often Come Up
Q1. Can hearing loss be diagnosed just by turning up the TV volume loudly?
The act of raising TV volume only oneself is not itself a diagnostic criterion for hearing loss, but it is one of the representative early signals. In particular, if the volume is raised but dialogue is still not clearly heard, there may be high-frequency hearing loss. To make an accurate judgment, it is necessary to confirm the current hearing level through precise hearing testing.
Q2. Do I need to go to an otolaryngology clinic for hearing tests or can they be done at a hearing aid center?
Hearing tests are possible at both otolaryngology clinics and specialist hearing centers. However, when medical causes such as earwax or otitis media are suspected, otolaryngology evaluation should come first. hanmihearing Auditory Rehabilitation Center is equipped with university hospital-grade double soundproof booths, making precise hearing tests possible, and hearing aid consultation follows directly after the test results.
Q3. My mother is reluctant to use hearing aids—how can I persuade her?
Rather than recommending purchase from the start, approaching it as "let's just try a test" reduces the burden. After testing, many people naturally reduce their vague resistance to hearing aids through the comparative experience of trying six major brands directly. The first step is to directly feel whether the fit is uncomfortable and whether the sound feels natural.
Q4. How can I find out if I can receive health insurance hearing aid support?
If registered with hearing disability status, up to 1.31 million won per one ear can be supported through health insurance auxiliary device benefits. Since the registration status and procedures (hearing disability determination standards, required documents, etc.) can feel complicated, if you tell us your current situation during center consultation, we can check together whether support is possible.
Responses may differ depending on individual constitution and symptom severity.