Arafiq, sorry for your loss of enjoyment. I lost about 90% of my hearing for 24-36 hours at a loud concert (Alice Cooper). It came back, along with a new case of tInnitus which remains. Lots of us retirees have hearing loss. And we all seem to deal with it differently.
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.
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Hello im not sure your condition can be partially solved with hearing aids but if you want to pursue that option I would call Hearsource in Indiana,get a hearing test and purchase the Widex Moment 440 Sheers tuned to your specific loss Michale Fremer previously did a review on these and I tried 5 different brands and the Widex was in a league of their own only supplementing your frequency deficiencies. Best audiophile decision I have ever made Good luck |
I am sorry you are having this medical issue. I wish you the best outcome and quick recovery time. The key is to stay positive. The mind is the most powerful therapy, more powerful than any appliance or apothecary. Listen to @lalitk. The adaptive ability of the brain is amazing, and I am like he is are sure you will find musical enjoyment with your best outcome. I am not a physician or a medical practitioner. You should follow a clinical treatment plan as directed by your otolaryngologist. I am a retired electromechanical medical device regulatory affairs, compliance, quality systems, and quality engineering executive with some understanding of how cochlear implants and traditional hearing aids work. A cochlear implant is an auditory nerve stimulator. It designed as a signal processor that takes the frequency spectrum we normally hear and reduces that to a limited number of frequency channels, converting that to an electrical signal to stimulate the auditory nerve. There is expected loss in perception of musical nuance based on this operating principle. However, the benefits of regaining hearing far outweigh this. A traditional hearing aid is a microphone, signal processor, and amplifier. It is not a nerve stimulator. The sound quality is dependent upon the design, execution of the design intent, and quality/cost of the device (similar to our sound systems). The signal processor compresses dynamics by design, and it will limit frequency bandwidth. The technology is much improved over time and there are some excellent aids today. Compared to the cochlear implant, perception of musical nuance is greater. However, this may not be the best treatment course for you so follow whatever your practitioner tells you. Good luck and speedy recovery. |
Not in your situation, but I do have hearing loss in the high frequency range, which has been confirmed by my ENT. I am also sensitive to loud music. I am 73 and can listen comfortably at 55-60 dbs, with brief peaks up to 65. At these low levels music did not come alive. Also had occasional ringing and clicking sounds in my ears. I took the following steps: 1. After much research purchased the JBL 4349 horn loudspeaker. Now I can listen at low levels and the music sounds full bodied. Note the JBL woofer is of the dynamic type and would not come alive at my low listening levels. I purchased 2 SVS subwoofers and set them to give me some of the bass that the JBL could not at my listening levels. Also purchased a new preamp the Conrad Johnson Et-7 S2 which lowered the noise floor. I also tried an equalizer which did not help me. 2. The final step was to try to alleviate the ringing and clicking. I switched from my electric toothbrush to manual brushing and within a week the clicking and ringing dissipated. I am sure my electric toothbrush was doing an excellent job, but perhaps the vibrations so close to my ears was an irritant to me. Wishing everybody happy listening and to the younger crowd, take care of your ears. |
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