Do I Have Tinnitus Quiz
Questions: 15 · 10 minutes
1. What ear symptoms occur alongside the unexplained sound?
I have not noticed ear pain, drainage, or marked pressure
I occasionally notice mild fullness or pressure
I have recurring pain, persistent pressure, or fluid drainage
I have severe ear pain, bloody drainage, or symptoms following a penetrating ear injury
2. What emotional response does the unexplained sound usually bring up?
It does not create a noticeable emotional response
Brief curiosity or mild irritation that passes
Recurring frustration, worry, or tension
Strong distress that is hard to set aside
3. As you settle into a quiet room or try to fall asleep, how noticeable is an unexplained sound?
I do not notice one
I notice one rarely and it soon fades from attention
I notice one repeatedly, although it comes and goes
I notice one most nights or throughout the quiet period
4. Imagine you are reading, working, or studying in a quiet place. What best describes the sound's effect on concentration?
There is no unexplained sound affecting my concentration
I notice it briefly, then return to the task
I need repeated effort or background sound to refocus
It repeatedly interrupts or prevents sustained concentration
5. Have you experienced a hearing change along with the unexplained sound?
I have not noticed a hearing change
I have noticed a mild, gradual change that does not clearly affect daily activities
I have noticed a persistent or worsening change over recent weeks
My hearing dropped suddenly or became markedly muffled within about 72 hours
6. How much have you changed your routines because of the sound?
I have not changed my routines
I occasionally add background sound or take a short break
I regularly adjust quiet time, work, sleep, or social plans
I avoid multiple activities or settings because the sound feels difficult to manage
7. During a conversation, how does the sound affect your ability to follow what is being said?
It does not affect conversations
I occasionally need a moment to shift my attention away from it
I sometimes ask for repetition because the sound competes for my attention
I regularly struggle to follow conversation because of the sound or an accompanying hearing change
8. How does ordinary background noise affect the unexplained sound you hear?
I do not hear an unexplained sound in either quiet or background noise
I notice it only in near silence
I can hear it in quiet settings, but ordinary background noise usually covers it
I can often hear it over conversation, traffic, television, or other background noise
9. Over the past two weeks, how has an unexplained sound affected your sleep?
It has not affected my sleep
It has occasionally delayed sleep or caught my attention after waking
It has disrupted sleep on several nights
It has regularly made it difficult to fall asleep or return to sleep
10. After loud music, machinery, or another noisy event, what have you noticed?
I have not noticed an unexplained sound afterward
A sound has appeared briefly and faded within minutes
A sound has lasted for hours afterward
A sound has remained into the next day or longer
11. How closely does the sound match your heartbeat or pulse?
It does not match my heartbeat
It has an occasional rhythm, but I cannot match it to my pulse
It sometimes seems synchronized with my pulse
It clearly and repeatedly beats or whooshes in time with my pulse
12. Which statement best describes head injury or neurological symptoms occurring with the sound?
There was no head injury and I noticed no neurological symptom
The sound began after a minor bump, without persistent headache or other new symptoms
The sound followed a head injury and has continued with a persistent headache
It occurs with new facial weakness, one-sided weakness, confusion, fainting, speech difficulty, or a sudden severe headache
13. What balance or movement symptoms occur with the sound?
I have not noticed dizziness or balance symptoms with it
I have had brief, mild unsteadiness while the sound was present
I have had recurring spinning sensations or difficulty with balance
I have had severe vertigo, repeated vomiting, or difficulty standing or walking safely
14. When you pause and check your surroundings after noticing a sound, what usually happens?
I can identify an outside source, so I have not had an unexplained sound
An unexplained sound remains for only a few seconds
An unexplained sound sometimes remains for several minutes
An unexplained sound regularly remains for a long period
15. During the past two weeks, how often have you heard ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing, or another sound with no clear outside source?
I have not noticed this
Once or twice, and only briefly
On several days
On most days or continuously