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Evaluate Your Hearing

To get an idea of how well you hear, answer the following questions developed by the American Academy of Otalryngology, and then calculate your score. To calculate your score, give yourself 3 points for every “Almost always” answer, 2 points for every “Half the time” answer, 1 point for every “Occasionally” answer, and 0 for every “Never.” If hearing loss runs in your family, please add an additional 3 points to your overall score.

Never Occasionally Half the time  Almost always
0 1 2 3
1. I have a problem hearing over the telephone.
2. I have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time.
3. People complain that I turn the TV volume too high.
4. I have to strain to understand conversations.
5. I miss hearing some common sounds like the phone or doorbell ring.
6. I have trouble hearing conversations in a noisy background, such as a party.
7. I get confused about where sounds come from.
8. I misunderstand some words in a sentence and need to ask people to repeat themselves.
9. I especially have trouble understanding the speech of women and children.
10. I have worked in noisy environments (such as assembly lines, construction sites, near jet engines, etc).
Never Occasionally Half the time  Almost always
0 1 2 3
11. Many people I talk to seem to mumble, or don’t speak clearly.
12. People get annoyed because I misunderstand what they say.
13. I misunderstand what others are saying and make inappropriate responses.
14. I avoid social activities because I cannot hear well and fear I’ll make improper replies.
15. Ask a family member or friend to answer this question: Do you think this person shows signs of hearing loss?
SCORE:

 

Score The American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery recommends the following:
0 to 5 Your hearing is fine. No action is required.
6 to 9 Suggests you see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist.
10+ Strongly recommends you see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist..