Do I need hearing aids?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Three or more yes answers on the standard checklist means get tested. The NIDCD screening asks ten questions - TV louder than others need, restaurant conversations hard to follow, repeats requested, family friction over hearing; three yes answers earns an audiology evaluation. The case for acting: close to 30 million American adults have hearing loss, only about one-fifth of those who could benefit get hearing aids - and treatment may reduce cognitive-decline and depression risk while improving social participation. Pymander's escalation routing is built and tested specifically for this class of decision; see the safety architecture working paper.
What to do
- Take the checklist: the ten NIDCD questions online - three yes answers is the testing threshold.
- Book the test: an audiologist's evaluation takes under an hour and maps exactly which frequencies are fading.
- Know the options: mild-to-moderate loss has over-the-counter hearing aids; beyond that, fitted prescription devices.
- Get seen urgently if: hearing drops suddenly in one ear - sudden hearing loss is a same-week emergency, not a wait.
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