Hearing Handicap Test

What it measures

How much your hearing is affecting your everyday emotional and social life — the ‘handicap’ side of hearing that an audiogram alone can miss. It uses the validated 4/2/0 scoring and score bands of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly–Screening (HHIE-S), with original wording covering the same situations.

How it works

You answer ten short questions about feelings and situations — embarrassment meeting people, frustration with family, difficulty with the TV or in restaurants. Each ‘Yes’ scores 4, ‘Sometimes’ 2, and ‘No’ 0, for a total out of 40. Higher totals indicate a greater self-perceived hearing handicap and a stronger case for a hearing check.

Tips for an accurate result

• 1Include social withdrawal — Avoiding gatherings because hearing is hard counts — don't discount it.
• 2Ask a partner — Family often notice hearing difficulty before we admit it ourselves.
• 3Re-check over time — Rising scores across months are a clear prompt to seek help.
• 4Early action pays off — Addressing hearing handicap early is linked to better social and cognitive wellbeing.