Iowa Health Book: Otolaryngology
A 5 Minute Hearing Test, Especially for Seniors
American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Inc.
Peer Review Status: Externally reviewed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Inc.
Copyright © 1993 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. This leaflet is published as a public service. The material may be freely used for noncommercial purposes so long as attribution is given to the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Inc., One Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3357.
Answer each of the following questions. Scoring guide at bottom of page.
- I have a problem hearing over the telephone.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- People complain that I turn the TV volume too high.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I have to strain to understand conversations.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I miss hearing some common sounds like the phone or doorbell ringing.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I have trouble hearing conversations in a noisy background such as a party.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I get confused about where sounds come from.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I misunderstand some words in a sentence and need to ask people to repeat themselves.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occaisionally
- _____ Never
- I especially have trouble understanding the speech of women and children.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I have worked in noisy environments (assembly line, jackhammers, jet engines, etc.)
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- Many people I talk to seem to mumble (or don't speak clearly).
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- People get annoyed because I misunderstand what they say.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I misunderstand what others are saying and make inappropriate responses.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
- I avoid social activities because I cannot hear well and fear I'll reply improperly.
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
To be answered by a family member or friend:
- Do you think this person has a hearing loss?
- _____ Almost always
- _____ Half of the time
- _____ Occasionally
- _____ Never
Scoring
To calculate your score, give yourself 3 points for every time you checked the "Almost always" column, 2 for every "Half of the time," 1 for every "Occasionally," and 0 for every "Never." If you have a blood relative who has a hearing loss, add another 3 points. Then total your points.
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 - Suggest you see an ear-nose-and-throat (ENT) specialist.
- 10 and above - Strongly recommend you see an ear physician.
This quiz was field-tested on 71 older patients in five cities; audiograms were also run on them. Results showed that those whose quiz scores indicated a need to see a physician were confirmed, on the audiogram, as having a hearing impairment.
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