I'm sorry, could you repeat that?
Jul. 31st, 2003 04:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coyotegothI'm becoming increasingly worried about my hearing.
When I was young, I was greatly prone to ear infections; for almost five years, I had tubes implanted in my ears. I had to wash my hair at the kitchen sink, and had to relearn how to swim, once I could actually put my head underwater. After the tubes were out, my hearing was excellent; I could hear whispered conversations across the lower floor of our house; I can remember hearing my father talking to my sister about the divorce, wondering how they would break it to me. I can remember staring up at him as he walked over, and being privy to knowledge that was not yet properly mine.
Now, things are different. At the piano bar I go to, conversations have become extremely difficult to follow, and generally entail frequents requests for the repetition of this or that statement. Usually, I either wind up turning my head sideways to the person I'm talking to, in order to hear more clearly, or else staring at their mouth, attempting to lipread to pick up gaps. Even when I'm outside, walking with someone, I tend to miss parts of what they're saying if they turn away while speaking. It's hard to codify, and I way be overreacting- I just carried on a perfectly audible conversation with a coworker while typing this, and my ability to listen to music is clearly undiminished- but it worries me.
(edited to say: and, of course, my PCP's office is closed for the day. Message left; will call tomorrow; will bite nails tonight.)
When I was young, I was greatly prone to ear infections; for almost five years, I had tubes implanted in my ears. I had to wash my hair at the kitchen sink, and had to relearn how to swim, once I could actually put my head underwater. After the tubes were out, my hearing was excellent; I could hear whispered conversations across the lower floor of our house; I can remember hearing my father talking to my sister about the divorce, wondering how they would break it to me. I can remember staring up at him as he walked over, and being privy to knowledge that was not yet properly mine.
Now, things are different. At the piano bar I go to, conversations have become extremely difficult to follow, and generally entail frequents requests for the repetition of this or that statement. Usually, I either wind up turning my head sideways to the person I'm talking to, in order to hear more clearly, or else staring at their mouth, attempting to lipread to pick up gaps. Even when I'm outside, walking with someone, I tend to miss parts of what they're saying if they turn away while speaking. It's hard to codify, and I way be overreacting- I just carried on a perfectly audible conversation with a coworker while typing this, and my ability to listen to music is clearly undiminished- but it worries me.
(edited to say: and, of course, my PCP's office is closed for the day. Message left; will call tomorrow; will bite nails tonight.)
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Ooh!
Date: 2003-07-31 04:12 pm (UTC)Good luck when you finally get an appt!
xoxo
J
Re: Ooh!
Date: 2003-08-01 01:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-31 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-31 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-01 02:22 am (UTC)I sure hope that is NOT the case with you, Coy. There is no solution to this: hearing aids (he's 65 after all) won't help, cos intrinsically his hearing is allright. It's a neurological thing, and they can't mend it.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-01 01:45 pm (UTC)*knuffel*Ô
deja vu.
Date: 2003-07-31 07:21 pm (UTC)i don't think your recent difficulty with hearing has to do with the fact that you had myringostomy tubes as a child for recurrent ear infections. if such were the case, you would have had hearing loss as a child. this sounds more recent. If you have been subjected to extremely loud music for years, the bass frequencies can cause damage to your hearing - generally that sort of hearing loss begins with deficits in hearing high pitched sounds. because you have retained your ability to hear music ok, this is probably not the case, either, but it's a thought. another thing- is it worse on one side, or is it the same in both ears?
strangely enough, i have similar problems with my hearing. i have a very difficult time filtering out background noise in order to focus on the sounds of conversation. however, this problem only occurs with trying to understand conversation and generally doesn't translate to hearing other types of sound. it only happens if there is background noise in approximately the same frequencies as human speech. i, too, have had to rely on lip reading in noisy situations (this skill has come in handy on other occasions, but that's another story). i also have trouble hearing a person if they turn their head away so that the sound of their speech is directed away from me. frankly, i haven't worried about it too much. after all i can still play my violin in tune and in general i can hear better than most people.
so...i am VERY curious as to what your doc will say. There are a few simple tests that one can do to check out hearing (sometimes you can use a tuning fork, sometimes they can use a little handheld machine that bounces sound waves off your eardrum.) anyway, keep me posted.
Re: deja vu.
Date: 2003-08-01 02:03 pm (UTC)Shall keep you posted- and, thanks :)ˇ
no subject
Date: 2003-07-31 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-01 01:57 pm (UTC)Huh?
Date: 2003-08-01 05:10 am (UTC)Re: Huh?
Date: 2003-08-01 01:45 pm (UTC)Re: Huh?
Date: 2003-08-01 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-01 06:48 am (UTC)When I was in kindergarten I was sent to have a hearing test because my teachers noticed I didn't pay attention in class. Turned out my hearing was fine, I just didn't like paying attention.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-01 01:48 pm (UTC)