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Sudden Hearing Loss and Impact on Music Enjoyment

This post is partly a cautionary tale and partly me looking for advice from fellow audiophiles who might have been through something similar.

At the end of January this year, I had a sinus infection that seemed to affect my left ear. One morning I woke up and noticed that my ear felt muffled and my hearing wasn’t quite right. At first, I assumed it was just my sinuses acting up. I tried wax-removal drops and even did some irrigation, but nothing improved. My doctor then prescribed a course of steroids, thinking it might be related to fluid buildup.

Unfortunately, things got worse. I gradually lost almost all hearing in that ear, and there was a lot of distortion as well.

I eventually saw an ENT specialist and an audiologist, and that’s when I learned that this was most likely Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL). Apparently, if the correct treatment is started within about 72 hours, there’s a chance the hearing can be saved. After that short window closes, the loss is often permanent. I really wish I had known that earlier when I first contacted my doctor.

So if anyone reading this ever experiences sudden changes in hearing, please don’t wait—get to an ENT immediately. The treatment window is extremely short.

Now that I’m starting to come to terms with this, I’ve begun researching options like hearing aids and cochlear implants. That leads me to my question for anyone here who has experience with either.

As audiophiles, we tend to listen to music a bit differently—we focus on details, tone, timbre, soundstage, and all those subtle nuances. For those of you using hearing aids or who have undergone cochlear implant surgery, how has it affected your ability to enjoy music? Does music sound very different? Were you able to reconnect with it in a meaningful way? As you can imagine, this is both stressful and sad that I won't be able to enjoy the one hobby that has become such an important part of my life.

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Feel free to share here, or send me a DM if you’d rather keep it private.

arafiq
motown-l
359 posts
 

I have some hearing loss in my right ear due to an untreated infection in grad school. Since that was over 40 years ago, I’ve adapted but my expenditures on audio equipment is far less than it might have been. I feel for you and the sudden loss. If my hearing continues to deteriorate, I’m going to sell my system and go on a nice trip with my wife. I believe in adaptation and moving forward. At 70, there’s not so much “forward” left.

mahler123
4,048 posts
 

I got hearing aides 3 years ago.  It’s only been the last few months that I have been wearing them while listening to music.  They may distort a bit in the high treble, but the trade off is that I hear much more in treble with them.  They also make much more aware of room ambient noises, such as my HVAC system.  I actually brought a component in for service thinking it had developed a hiss and it turned out to be the vent behind a speaker.  On the whole they have been a positive, restoring a lot of beauty that had gone missing 

bigwave1's avatar
bigwave1
278 posts
 

I usually don’t post off topic suggestions but remember, most medical professionals are paid to treat symptoms. 
Make sure you get your daily dose of trace minerals,70 of them (colloidal), promoting thousands of metabolic pathways, biofavenoids, essential fatty acids, (natural anti-inflammatories), systemic proteolytic enzymes nattokinase, serrapeptidase( clots busters and removes spike inflammatory proteins from “long” Covid, nitric oxide promoting supplements, vegetables (arrugala) to dilate blood vessels., Just to name a few inexpensive self help alternatives. Many Drs are clueless. Report back in 6 months, worst case scenario , ithe effort may slow down the deterioration. Just a thought. 

fbgbill's avatar
fbgbill
329 posts
 

I have worn hearing aids for over 15 years. I suffer from tinnitus due to much boom boom while in the army. I am now 77 and it only gets worse but I do enjoy my system every day. While hearing sids do not really correct hearing loss they do help. I do not listen to loud rock music these days. Hope you get some relief and continue to enjoy your system. 

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
6,180 posts
 

@arafiq 

I’m really sorry you’re going through this. Sudden hearing loss is incredibly unsettling, especially when music is such an important part of your life. I must commend you for sharing your experience and the warning about getting to an ENT quickly. Your experience could genuinely help someone else recognize the urgency and seek treatment in time.

While the change is understandably scary, many people with single-sided hearing loss, hearing aids, or even cochlear implants do reconnect with music over time. The brain can adapt in surprising ways, and modern hearing technology has improved a lot, especially with music-specific tuning.

Please continue to explore, give yourself time and grace as you process this. Your relationship with music may change, but it doesn’t necessarily have to disappear.

Wishing you strength and the best possible outcome ahead my friend. 

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