Test Your Hearing

Do you suspect that you or someone you know may have a hearing loss? The following questions have been designed to help you evaluate your hearing. If you answer YES or SOMETIMES to one or more of the questions, you should consider consulting a hearing health care professional to determine whether you have a hearing loss and how best to treat it. Remember, not all hearing issues are an indication of a hearing loss. Other medically treatable conditions can affect hearing, and it is important that these conditions be identified and treated before a hearing instrument is purchased.

• Do you have a hard time hearing normal conversation in noisy environments, such as restaurants or parties?
• Do you have difficulty hearing or understanding speakers during events such as church services or large meetings?
• Do you have difficulty determining where sounds are coming from?
• Do you turn up the television/radio to a point where others complain?
• Do you feel tired or stressed from trying to hear?
• Do people often seem to be "mumbling?"
• Do you have difficulty hearing and understanding on the phone?
• Do you frequently ask others to repeat themselves?
• Do you have ringing in one or both ears?
• Are you exposed to work-related or recreational noise, e.g., factory, construction sites, airports, musical band, firing weapons, target practice or other noisy sources?
• Do you get frustrated easily with unfamiliar, soft or quiet voices?
• Do you ever "pretend" you understood by nodding in agreement, even though you weren't sure what was said?
• Do you hear better out of one ear than the other?
• Do you miss essential sounds like door bells, alarm clocks, smoke alarms, sirens or horns?

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