HEARING TESTS IN SIDNEY, BC

Professional Hearing Tests in Sidney, BC

Complete hearing assessments, no cost, no pressure

Looking for a hearing test on the Saanich Peninsula? At Sidney Hearing Clinic, you get a complete assessment from Catherine Zieniewicz, a Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioner with over 20 years of experience. No rush, no pressure, no upsell. Just a proper look at how you’re actually hearing.

sidney bc hearing tests

When was your last hearing test?

For most people the answer is never, or not in a long time.

Statistics Canada found that about 77% of Canadian adults 40 to 79 who have hearing loss don’t know they have it. That’s the tricky thing about hearing loss. It comes on gradually. The people around you usually notice before you do.

You start turning the TV up a little. Then a little more. You ask people to repeat themselves. You stop going to restaurants because they’re too loud. You laugh at jokes you didn’t quite catch. None of it feels like a big deal in any single moment. And then one day you realize you’ve been pulling back from things you used to enjoy.

A hearing test is how you find out where you actually stand.

What actually causes hearing loss?

Aging

The most common cause. The tiny hair cells in your inner ear wear down over time, and other parts of the hearing pathway can get less efficient too. It’s gradual, which is why so many people don’t notice

Noise Exposure

Years of loud work environments, concerts, power tools, or even regular headphone use can damage the hair cells in your inner ear. Unlike aging, this one is preventable with proper hearing protection.

Earwax

Not glamorous, but a real factor. When earwax builds up and gets impacted, it blocks sound from getting through. The good news: this kind of hearing loss is usually temporary and easy to fix.

Medications

Some medications, including certain cancer treatments, antibiotics, and diuretics, can affect your hearing. These are called ototoxic medications. If you’re on any of them, it’s worth getting a baseline hearing test.

Illness and chronic conditions

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and middle ear infections can all affect hearing by disrupting blood flow or creating fluid buildup in the ear.

Ear Trauma

A blow to the head, a loud blast, or a sudden pressure change can damage the structures inside your ear.

What Happens at Your Sidney Hearing Test Appointment

Your hearing and health history

Before any testing, Catherine will sit down with you and ask about your hearing, your general health, medications you’re on, and what your daily life looks like. This part matters more than people realize. It tells her what to look for and whether anything needs a medical referral before going further.

A look inside your ear

Using an otoscope, she’ll check your outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum. This rules out the simple stuff first, like impacted earwax, inflammation, or anything unusual that needs attention before testing

Eardrum movement check

A device called a tympanometer measures how well your eardrum is moving. This helps identify any issues with how sound is being transmitted through the middle ear, including fluid buildup or pressure problems.

The hearing test itself

This is the part most people picture when they hear “hearing test.” You’ll wear headphones and respond to tones at different pitches and volumes. The sounds get quieter until they’re right at the edge of what you can hear. Your results get plotted on a graph called an audiogram, which shows exactly where your hearing sits across the full range of frequencies.

Speech testing

Hearing tones is one thing. Understanding speech is another. You’ll listen to a list of words and repeat them back, one ear at a time. This tells Catherine how well you’re actually processing language, which is what matters in real conversations.

A real conversation about your results

You won’t be handed a printout and sent on your way. Catherine will walk you through exactly what your results mean, what she’s seeing, and what your options are. If you have hearing loss, she’ll talk through what would actually help given your lifestyle. If your hearing is fine, she’ll tell you that too. No pressure to come back, no pitch for something you don’t need.

Is it time to get a hearing test?

Hearing loss rarely announces itself. It shows up in small ways, in moments you brush off, until one day you realize you’ve been adjusting around it for years.

If any of the signs on the right ring a bell, it’s worth getting your hearing checked. It’s free, it takes about an hour, and you’ll finally know what you’re working with.

sidney hearing test with catherine
  • You’re turning the TV up and people are telling you it’s too loud
  • Conversations on the phone have gotten harder
  • You’re asking people to repeat themselves a lot
  • Friends or family have mentioned your hearing
  • Restaurants and gatherings feel more exhausting than they used to
  • You’re catching about half of what’s said in a group
  • You’re hearing ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears
  • Your ears feel full or blocked and it isn’t going away
catherine sidney Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioner

MEET YOUR HEARING CARE PROFESSIONAL

Catherine Zieniewicz, MSc, RHIP

Catherine is a Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioner and a member of the College of Hearing Care Professionals of BC. She holds a Master of Science degree and has more than 20 years of experience in hearing care, including years at NexGen Hearing here in Sidney before opening her own clinic.

She’s known for taking time with people, explaining things clearly, and never recommending something someone doesn’t actually need.

Book your free hearing test in Sidney, BC

Free. About an hour. You’ll leave knowing exactly where your hearing stands.