Do you need a hearing test?

The following checklist will help you determine if you should make an appointment for a hearing test with a physician or audiologist at Mid-Kansas Ear, Nose & Throat. The questions relate to everyday situations where many people – even those with only minor hearing losses – could experience difficulties hearing clearly.

• When watching television with others you need to set the volume higher than they would to hear what is being said.
• You often need to ask people to repeat what they have said.
• You often feel that other people are “mumbling” or speaking unclearly.
• You often have trouble understanding a conversation when there is background noise or when other people are talking at the same time.
• Your family members / colleagues / friends have asked you whether you have a hearing problem.
• You avoid parties and social events because there is too much noise or you can’t hear what people are saying.
• During conversations in a car, a restaurant, or another noisy place, you often misunderstand what is being said.
• You feel stressed or tired when you have had to talk or listen for long periods.
• You need to sit close to the speakers at meetings, religious services or at the dinner table in order to understand.
• You often experience problems hearing and understanding what other people are saying to you when you do not have eye contact.
• You often find it hard to localize the source of sounds.