@clarossa Thank you for sharing your experience. I tried to listen to some music last night but it was an extremely sad and disappointing experience to be honest. No soundstage on the left side, basically left speaker doesn't exist. No imaging or depth perception. My speakers are extraordinary at throwing a deep, layered soundstage. It was depressing to suddenly not hear any of that. I like your idea of trying an equalizer or something similar. If it can help bring back some soundstage on the left and maybe improve depth perception, even if it's a 30% improvement, will be a win. I will reach out to you via DM to discuss the options with you. Thank you again.
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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@macg19 Thank you for the kind words. I did see another ENT and audiologist a few days ago. Although, he doesn't think anything can be done at this point -- the cells are dead and most likely scar tissue is being formed as I type this, I still convinced him to give intratympanic injections (via eardrums) and another round of steroids. I figured even if there's a 5% chance I don't want to live with the regret that I didn't try all I could. But at the same time I have to be realistic and prepare for a new way of life. |
@sameyers1 Thank you for your detailed and well thought out response. I really appreciate it. When I first read your post, I was so hopeful that HAs like Widex might be able to improve my situation. I understand it would never be like listening naturally but at least there was some hope. It was a little shocking to know that the issue is much deeper. Basically, my word recognition is so bad that HAs will be of no help. They will only amplify the distortion. I still want to give them a shot -- even if they don’t improve word recognition, I’m thinking if they make listening to jazz and classical better than now, I will take my chances. Let’s see. |
arafiq - While losing any part of our hearing is a shock and a disappointment, it is also something that we adjust to in rather short order. 20+ years ago I was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma (a noncancerous, destructive skin cyst in the middle ear) resulting in 5 corrective surgeries leaving me with a severe hearing loss in one ear. Hearing in the higher frequencies is most difficult. I do now wear a hearing aid in that ear only. In selecting speakers, I may have leaned towards speakers that others might describe as bright as they accentuated the sound where I have a deficit. This in no way hinders my listening enjoyment as this is now how I hear. I will often seat myself off center when listening to offset my unbalanced hearing. My hearing aid also has a setting for music listening which allows me to experiment for optimal enjoyment. So, in summation, while your hearing loss may change the way you listen, it should not prevent you from continuing to enjoy listening to music. |
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