Tinnitus & Hearing Survey
This quick tool helps you sort what’s driving your bother right now: tinnitus, hearing difficulty, sound sensitivity, or a mix. You’ll get a short next-steps plan with direct deep links to the exact section to read next.
Educational only (not a diagnosis). If you have sudden hearing loss, a new heartbeat/pulsing sound, severe dizziness, or new neurologic symptoms, use Emergency: when to get urgent care.
Prefer to read? Video key points & text summary (no audio needed)
- Medical Red Flags First: Seek urgent medical care for sudden hearing loss (within 72 hours), pulsatile (heartbeat-synced) or one-sided tinnitus, or severe vertigo—use the Emergency Guide (or call/text 988 for severe emotional distress).
- 3 Short Sections (Adapted from Henry et al., 2015): Separate how much daily bother comes from Section A (Tinnitus Impact), Section B (Hearing Difficulty in Noise/Groups), and Section C (Sound Tolerance / Hyperacusis).
- 4 Personalized Tracks & 7-Day Plan: Match the right tool to the real driver—bedside sound and CBT for tinnitus, hearing evaluation/amplification for speech clarity, or a combined approach—and share your scores at your next audiology visit.
Video Transcript (0:00–1:00):
- 0:00–0:08: When ringing in your ears and trouble hearing happen together, it is easy to blame tinnitus for everything. This two-minute survey helps separate what is really driving your bother.
- 0:08–0:17: First, check for urgent red flags. Sudden hearing loss within 72 hours, heartbeat-synced or one-sided tinnitus, or severe vertigo needs prompt medical care—and call or text 988 if you feel unsafe.
- 0:17–0:26: Adapted from the clinical Tinnitus and Hearing Survey, Section A measures tinnitus impact on sleep and focus, Section B checks speech hearing in noise, and Section C screens for sound sensitivity.
- 0:26–0:36: Your scores unlock one of four personalized tracks: tinnitus-dominant, hearing-dominant, a combined track where amplification helps both, or a gentle sound-tolerance pathway.
- 0:36–0:45: For the next seven days, match your strategy to your main driver: use soft background sound in quiet rooms, turn on captions and reduce noise for conversation, and schedule a baseline hearing test.
- 0:45–0:53: Everything runs privately in your browser. Bring your Section A, B, and C breakdown to your audiologist, or pair it with our Tinnitus Functional Index tool to track progress over time.
- 0:53–1:00: Scroll down right below to complete all three short sections and get your personalized seven-day plan.
Answer three short sections
Think about your experience over the last week. Choose the option that fits best.
Over the last week, how much of a problem was each of these?
1) Tinnitus kept me from sleeping.
2) Tinnitus kept me from concentrating.
3) Tinnitus made me feel terrible.
4) I could not get my mind off the tinnitus.
Over the last week, how much of a problem was each of these?
1) I couldn’t understand what others were saying in noisy or group situations.
2) Sounds were too soft.
3) I had trouble understanding speech on TV or the phone.
4) I couldn’t understand what people were saying.
Over the last week, how much of a problem was each of these?
1) Sounds were too loud or uncomfortable when they seemed normal to others.
2) I avoided places/situations because sounds would be too loud or uncomfortable.
Sound sensitivity (hyperacusis) can overlap with tinnitus and hearing difficulty. Identifying it helps you choose safer next steps.
Answer all questions in this section to continue.
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