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Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (1521)Comment receiving replies
I've been having trouble hearing conversations in a noisy environment.
I can hear pretty well. When I take the free online hearing tests, they always come back as moderate hearing loss. But I cannot follow a conversation, and if I try to concentrate on the conversation, I become overwhelmed with all the other "chaotic" sounds around me. I can't tune that stuff out in order to "hear" the person directly in front of me.
I can sit at a table in a busy restaurant, and cannot make out what the person sitting across from me is saying, but I can hear perfectly some lady 2 tables over, as she cackles with laughter, telling her friend a story.
It's quite debilitating, in that if I try to concentrate on a conversation, I end up getting a claustrophobic feeling, and often have to remove myself from the situation just to keep from flipping out.
Some people have suggested that it sounds like spatial hearing loss. I don't think so. I can hear a mouse pass gas across the room if it's quiet... But with a lot of chaotic sounds around me, I cannot make out what people are saying. I can barely even hear them, but other sounds, like clinking of glasses, or silver wear clanking on dishes... are crystal clear, and overpowering.
Is there a certain type of audiologist I should be looking for? Or should any hearing specialist be able to diagnose and treat?
I don't even know where to start.
Replies to "I've been having trouble hearing conversations in a noisy environment. I can hear pretty well. When..."
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@jethrob. Welcome to the hearing loss support group at Mayo Clinic Connect. I suspect you'll get quite a bit of support from others in this group. FYI, Iwas diagnosed with progressive hearing loss decades ago, and have managed quite well after learning strategies that work and using appropriate technology. So, I will start with my thoughts for you:
It sounds like you have typical sensorineural hearing loss, which is common. One of the first signs of SNHL is having trouble understanding conversation when background noise is present. Most social settings include a lot of that unwelcome noise. Even moderate hearing loss is affected by this reality. You 'hear', but don't understand. The exhaustion you feel relates to the fact that you are working extra hard to try to hear. It's called auditory fatigue. The brain gets tired of working so hard.
It makes sense to see an ENT specialist when one is first experiencing hearing loss. You want to rule out causes that can be corrected or need special treatment. The next step is to see an audiologist who will test your hearing in a variety of ways. Some ENT medical doctors have audiologists on staff. Others will recommend someone in private practice. You want to be tested in a sound proof room by a professional who can evaluate your hearing. Online testing can give us hints, but they are limited.
Have you mentioned your hearing issues to a medical professional?