Hearing Health Quick Test

Score 2 points for Yes answers, 1 point for Sometimes, and 0 points for No.

  1. Do you find it difficult to follow a conversation in a noisy restaurant or crowded room?
  2. Do you sometimes feel that people are mumbling or not speaking clearly?  
  3. Do you experience difficulty following dialog in the theater? 
  4. Do you sometimes find it difficult to understand a speaker at a public meeting or a religious service?
  5. Do you find yourself asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?
  6. Do you find men's voices easier to understand than women's?
  7. Do you experience difficulty understanding soft or whispered speech?
  8. Do you sometimes have difficulty understanding speech on the telephone?
  9. Does a hearing problem cause you to feel embarrassed when meeting new people?
  10. Do you feel handicapped by a hearing problem? 
  11. Does a hearing problem cause you to visit friends, relatives or neighbors less often than you would like? 
  12. Do you experience ringing or noises in your ears?
  13. Do you hear better with one ear than the other?
  14. Have you had any significant noise exposure during work, recreation or military service? 
  15. Have any of your relatives (by birth) had a hearing loss? 

Scores of 3 or more may mean that you have a hearing problem. Scores of 6 or more strongly suggest that a hearing test is warranted. In either case, further evaluation by an audiologist may be recommended.