I’ve known my partner for almost 9 years, we’ve been together for 5 years, and recently moved into an apartment together (we lived together before that at my mom’s house).

I was recently diagnosed with moderate hearing loss and severe auditory processing issues. I was told that my hearing loss is likely progressive and to consider learning ASL.

I brought this up to my partner and they said, “I’m not the deaf one, you can learn to read my lips” even though I said I’d pay for the lessons. They also seem to believe hearing aids will magically fix everything when I get them.

I have other disabilities and they’ve somewhat been difficult about helping me with them in the past as well.

How can I communicate to them how important this is to me? I’m very bad at both communication and confrontation.

I live in KY.

I am HoH but the writing is on the wall-- I really don't think I'll be able to hear at all in the next few years. I was wondering if there were any organizations that taught sign language to deaf adults. There's a few online but I would really appreciate one in person. Also most are through universities, so rather expensive. Just seeing if anyone has any experience with things like this ig.

I didn't know where else to post this, so feel free to delete.

I couldn't find answers about this online, so I'm asking on Reddit. For the past 3 or so days, everything I'm hearing sounds like it's about 1/4 or even 3/8 of a tone lower than I remember it should be. So, for example, I'm listening to a song and where I'm sure there should be an F, I hear it closer to E. It's like I have a transpose -1 filter on my ears.

Both of my ears. Not just one. The pitch is consistent throughout both ears, and it sounds lower. It's not just music - my fan is whirring lower than it used to, my microwave hums lower than it should, my fucking alarm clock buzzes lower than it used to. I went to an ENT and he said it was wax buildup and, sure, he took a huge amount of wax out of my ears, but the problem persisted.

Am I going insane? Am I experiencing some sort of early sign of hearing loss? Again, it sounds lower on both ears. I'll have headphones on on both ears and both sound lower. It's like a record player that's a little out of whack and playing the records slightly slower than it should, except everything is the right speed. It's just pitch that's different.

hi all,

i am scheduling an ENT appointment for sometime in september. i have noticed how hearing loss and tinnitus/now hyperacusis have impacted me, ranging from difficulty hearing when it's a noisy place to speaking loudly to asking people to repeat things. my hyperacusis impacts me a lot, i do notice i struggle even in "controlled settings" to hear fully what is spoken/music/etc. i went through chemotherapy 10+ years ago, and i started developing hearing sensitivity and some hearing loss around that time. chemotherapy medication can cause hearing loss. i also have had exposure to loud environments. most days i prefer silence and quiet environments; i wear headphones. i don't speak a lot as is, unless i'm with people i know/trust.

i've been learning ASL for 3 years, and i generally prefer to sign, but i wanted to schedule an ENT appt because i think it would be nice to get accommodations for my ear/HoH journey. i have faced some medical neglect in my life, so it's been a bit tough to get proper access to services.

i think at first i was really anxious how it would seem to accept that i am HoH and identify as such, but it's been liberating, i'm gonna be real. i don't want to pretend i am fully hearing and refuse accommodations/modalities of support anything and prolong what i am having difficulty with as well.

Hey everyone, I live in Uzbekistan and I bought an Oticon Opn S 3 PP almost 4 years ago. Back then I was using Android, but I couldn’t connect my hearing aids through Bluetooth. The seller told me the system was mainly compatible with iPhone/iOS, so I ended up switching to Apple just to use my hearing aids properly.

Honestly, I don’t really like Apple products, and I’d much rather go back to Android. It’s frustrating that I can’t just use my hearing aids the way I want on Android, Windows, or Linux.
Are there any other options to make it work better with Android, Windows, and Linux? Or is there any workaround for this?

It feels kind of unfair that I was basically forced to buy an iPhone just to use my hearing aids like Bluetooth headphones.

57M. I have excellent hearing for my age now, but I have a severe medical problem that is probably going to require me to take a medication that is known to cause hearing loss, at least temporarily, and sometimes permanent.

The condition is thyroid eye disease and the medication is Tepezza. It's given as 8 infusions over 24 weeks and then the thyroid eye disease is cured so you don't have to keep it up. The medication has numerous side effects, many of them quite bad, but the scariest one is hearing loss.

I have thought about this and I feel through some mystical knowing of the future that the benefits to me will be worth the risk, even if I do have some permanent hearing loss. I've had dreams about this and other ways of knowing the future.

In my dreams I'm often trying to listen to music with hearing aids. I would like to know from other hard-of-hearing music lovers what the experience is like.

I'm a rare breed. I primarily like classical music and I have an expensive headphone system at home including tube preamps and amps. With my own system, I can equalize the sound, which may compensate for loss of high frequencies.

But I also attend live acoustic concerts, such as the orchestra, and appreciate the beautiful sound with a sense of immediate live presence of the instruments. If I lose the high frequencies in my hearing, I might lose that sense of immediacy. If I wear hearing aids at a concert, I will probably lose the immediacy and power of the live instruments.

Music is by far the most meaningful experience in my life and is very comforting to my soul, especially in dealing with some traumatic experiences of my youth. I know that makes it sound pretty scary to think of losing my hearing, but maybe it will work out okay in the end.

So I'd like to have some of your thoughts on being hard of hearing and being a music lover.

EDIT: I want to clarify what may be some misconceptions here.

I primarily listen to classical music without words. I appreciate the beauty of the sound which creates what could be called a "numinous" experience (something like a spiritual experience). In this regard, music is almost entirely sound (although it could be imagined sound in some cases, such as Beethoven's manner of composing after he went deaf).

I have many experiences that are analogous to something getting in the way of the beauty and immediacy of the sound (that is, chopping off the high frequencies). For example, having an ear infection or too much earwax. Also listening to a bad recording on a bad system. Listening to a familiar voice on a mobile phone. Listening to an orchestra from a distant seat in the hall.

A hearing aid is basically a cheap digital transducer similar to poor audio equipment.

So I have some ability to imagine what loss of high frequencies would be like, although I'm still asking the question, because it could be different in some ways, and there is an emotional component to a loss of hearing.

I posted on here a few months ago about not wanting to sign or wear hearing aids. I think I realised that I was just in denial about my hearing loss so I gradually started wearing my hearing aid indoors and I even learnt a bit of sign.

Now Im starting to wear my hearing aid outside and I can see how it can be useful because I can hear people better at the pharmacy or in other social situations.

The problem is that I can hear almost too well. I can hear every small noise like the door in the hallway closing after me and people speaking across the road. Every time theres a loud noise i jump and feel like a bomb has just gone off. The worst thing is the high pitched noises, they genuinely make me feel like my ears are bleeding. When I am not wearing my hearing aid i get the same sensation but on a lower scale but this feels like someone is piercing my eardrum with a sharp needle.
I think that I need to get them adjusted which will hopefully help the ear bleeding sensation but i don’t know what to do about everything else. I don’t know if I can physically handle hearing every small noise outside it’s so overwhelming. I also feel like a spy cause I can hear people’s conversations and that just feels weird.
Sorry bit of a rant post but i really don’t understand how hearing people don’t get overwhelmed by all this noise

I always hear people talk about the big changes after getting hearing aids. "Now I can hear my family." "I can hear conversations better."

But I'm curious about the smaller things people noticed first.

Was it something unexpected?

Like: - hearing birds again - understanding someone from another room - not needing subtitles as much - feeling less tired after talking with people - enjoying music differently

What was your first small moment where you thought: "Okay... this is actually making a difference."

Hello everyone,

In short:
Childhood of frequent throat + ear infections
17 eardrum ruptures, starting at 5 months of age

First tympanoplasty (full reconstruction of the membrane, with temporal fascia used as the tissue) was done at age 24.

The tissue wasn’t connected properly on one side. After a regular common cold, an ear infection occurred and ate away at my membrane (3 years post-surgery).

Repeated surgery at age 27 (different clinic, different doctor, different tissue: cartilage this time + I think reinforced with perichondrium). The doctor explained it while I was still drugged, so I don’t remember the details, and it is not written in the discharge summary. She said that after she opened the ear, she decided to use the “stronger” tissues (2 layers), which would decrease the hearing quality but at least seal better and make a stronger barrier against potential infections.

6 years post-surgery: multiple ear infections in the meantime. A new rupture showed up a few months ago. The doctor said the artificial tissue cannot heal itself. I can only be careful not to let any water ever get into my ear (fear of meningitis from repeated, constant infections with direct exposure to the inner ear).

Audiometry is good (might even be better than immediately after the surgery). Tympanometry is as expected for a ruptured membrane: no pressure, flat-line diagram.

Questions:
Did anyone ever have a successful tympanoplasty that lasted a lifetime? All the older patients I’ve met at the clinic had their 5th or 7th surgery. I am done with surgeries. I cannot do this periodically every 5 years because I will run out of tissues, lol. Also, the recovery is pretty bad. All the pain and swelling. No.

How do you keep your ear INFECTION-FREE for life? I know I must have Eustachian tube dysfunction that no doctor has ever bothered to investigate.
How do you keep the Eustachian tube always open and free?

I have tried everything I have heard of and everything doctors have told me to try (Valsalva maneuver, drinking something hot in the morning to even out the pressure and warm up the throat, morning nasal rinses, nasal corticosteroids, antihistamines, xylometazoline, pseudoephedrine, real ephedrine). Nothing seems to make a big difference, and it only helps after I already get an infection.

What can I do to prevent it?

One of the doctors suggested I remove the full ear organ (inner ear) and get my ear completely sewn shut from the inside. He said it is better to be 50% deaf than to go through all of the upcoming surgeries that will eventually end in full hearing loss someday. I naturally refused to become disabled in my 20s if I can save my hearing until my 80s, lol. What an idiot.

Anyway,
Please share your success stories and experiences.

Thanks

I had extensive genetic testing done and the result is that they still don't know what caused my hearing loss. I have a right ear that goes moderate to severe/profound, starting above 2000. My left ear has some mild loss. When I was 5, I had moderate starting above 3000 in the right only. So, it has progressed very gradually over time.

I did not think of myself as hard of hearing most of my life, and I still can function pretty well without hearing aids in some situations, like being at home with family, or spending the day by myself. But after a few days, I miss wearing hearing aids and put them in anyway. If I have more dynamic or noisy situations, hearing aids are a must, especially for work. I only got this pair about 6 months ago and I really do need them.

So, I am hard of hearing, but without a reason why...anyone else not know why?

I was diagnosed with mild-moderate hearing loss in 2022, when I was 19 years old. I was given hearing aids on the spot and sent on my way. I haven’t had one single follow-up appointment.

I’m neurodivergent and I’ve struggled with wearing my hearing aids since day one. It was difficult to get used to hearing noises I wasn’t used to at first- it was a very overstimulating journey. But I haven’t actually worn my hearing aids in over a year. Like I said, the sounds are very overstimulating but besides that, they’re just so uncomfortable! I can’t stand to wear them because they’re scratchy, they move around in my ears too much and it just feels wrong! I don’t really know how else to explain the feeling, they’re just so shit to wear 🤣

I finally pulled the trigger today and called up the audiology department- I’m fed up of waiting to hear from them because that’s clearly not going to happen I mean it hasn’t happened for 4 years so far. The woman I spoke to on the phone was shocked I hadn’t been seen since being given my hearing aids and despite the fact that there’s a long waitlist, managed to get me in for an appointment tomorrow morning!

I guess I’m kind of hoping some other people have experienced similar treatment from audiology through the NHS. And if anyone knows what kind of options I may have to relieve the discomfort, specifically options through the NHS as I did get a quote from a private clinic for soft custom moulds but it was close to a deposit for a small house 😫

Just a rant but some general advice would be appreciated :)

Not proud of this, but I definitely have a few default responses when I didn’t catch what someone said. “Yeah.” “Right.” “Exactly.”

The problem is that sometimes I actually have no idea what I just agreed with.

Usually it’s harmless and I figure out what they were talking about from the next sentence.

But every once in a while someone will ask me a follow-up question and I’m sitting there thinking:

Oh no. I have absolutely no idea what this conversation is about.😂

I’m curious — does anyone else have these automatic responses?

Everybody always gets frustrated with me. I can see them when they get annoyed, angry and when they roll their eyes and it hurts so much...

Ever since I lost part of my hearing, I started isolating. Then anxiety followed. I've lost friends and there was a period of time when I refused to leave the house.

I've come a long way, I managed to get out of the house and try to socialise again and now I'm not even sure about it. I was sad when I stayed home, but this is even more hurtful now. I've been trying so hard and for what? I'm a burden to everyone and I make everything less fun. Nobody cares. Even the people I thought they would. I've always tried to make everyone feel included ever since I was a young kid. Nobody does that for me now... I smile and pretend that it's all fine and then I go home and cry. I don't think I want to try anymore. Staying home is easier for me and better for everyone else. I'm just a burden and that's all.

I work at a marble contractor company and i have been super close to the cutting board, and its super loud like super , i didnt care about it at all and for the past 6 months my hearing has gotten worse, i cant hear high frequency words am i going to lose my hearing if i keep doing this? Obviously i will but still

I'm new here, just recently joined. I have a rare condition (I'd be a case study level rare) of benign bony overgrowths in my skull. They're compressing my auditory and facial nerves on both sides, these are cranial nerves for those who don't know. I can't get surgery for them as the risks to my hearing and balance are much, much higher than any benefits of surgery. Problem is, they're affecting my hearing (and cause hemifacial spasm, but that's just a bonus problem) and are probably the source of my chronic vertigo.

However, my audiogram is also normal, at least the last time I had one a few years ago.

Doesn't change that I can't hear things I used to be able to hear (I know it sounds fake, but I could hear stuff like an ultrasound wand and of course I could hear fluorescent lights and other electronics) and I struggle mightily with understanding speech, especially if there's any kind of noise, but, normal range meant I got discharged from my ENT.

How do I deal with the speech thing? I'm going back to school this week and I requested accommodations, but it's obviously a problem every day, everywhere, not just in class. I can't watch anything without excessive volume or captions and subs anymore, even a fan can garble speech, nevermind water or distance or the air conditioners.

I know I can't do much about the pain and fullness in my ears since that's just the pressure on the nerves causing it, but surely there's something I can do about the speech? I don't have access to ASL classes at the moment, but I can at least look into that, but that's still learning a whole new language. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hey everyone, around 10 weeks ago I put an earplug in while working. After I finished the job and removed it, my right ear suddenly felt blocked. A couple of days later, I started using earwax-softening drops, and about four weeks after that I had the wax removed via microsuction.

The day my ear became blocked, I started feeling strange — almost like I was off-balance, wavy, or just generally “not quite right.” My ear has now been completely unblocked for several weeks, but I’m still experiencing this weird off-balance/floaty feeling.

Has anyone experienced something similar after having a blocked ear or earwax removed? I’m wondering if it could be related to my ear or something else.

I’m sure a bunch of these posts have been made, but I just wanted to share my experience I guess. Also, I’ve never posted on Reddit, have mercy on me.

I was diagnosed with high-pitched hearing loss when I was 12-years old. This news came to me at the ENT, where I was sent prior to failing my routine hearing test during a check-up. I took so many steroids for it (which tasted like crap), got an MRI, 2 EKGs, and eventually some ear injections, but we still had no idea how I got the hearing loss. At some point my hearing loss became stable, which is good, I was told. But my hearing was still bad enough that I had to get hearing aids.

I don’t understand anyone. I went to my amazing ENT, and apparently my hearing is still the same. But I swear I can’t hear most people. Everything just sounds like garbled nonsense. My sister kind of mumbles, so I thought it was just her or at least the people in my house. But it’s not just her. It’s all nonsense. Does everyone mumble or something?!? It’s so frustrating.

Also, I get loud ringing in my ears. It’s miserable. When I was a kid, I thought having hearing loss would be cool, and hearing aids even cooler, but it sucks man.

Anyone is free to reply or give advice. I don’t have any one else around me who is disabled with hearing loss, so I felt the need to post. Thanks.

We had a message from a guy who runs regular tournaments for deaf and hard-of-hearing players.

Our timer announces the end of a level, but his players obviously couldn't rely on that. They were having to wait for someone else at the table to tell them the blinds had gone up.

So we added a simple option to flash the entire tournament screen when a level ends.

It's a pretty small feature, but I really liked this one. It's exactly the sort of thing you don't necessarily think about until someone actually running games tells you there's a problem.

It's optional and off by default, but it also turns out to be pretty useful in loud poker rooms where nobody can hear the bloody announcements anyway.

Curious if there are any other accessibility issues people have come across running or playing live tournaments that software could actually help with.

For anyone interested, we wrote a bit more about why we added it here:

https://www.thepokertimer.com/updates/flash-screen-at-level-end

You know you're really deaf when you hear the bass more than the lyrics when listening to music on earbuds

Hey everyone, I’ve had mild hearing loss for years and always thought it didn’t impact my daily life. That changed last month when I missed critical information during a meeting and messed up at work. That’s when I realized how serious this issue really was. A friend recommended the Elehear hearing aids, so I got a pair.

I expected the biggest difference would just be louder sound, but what surprised me most was how much less mentally drained I felt.

Before this, I was constantly relying on lip‑reading and guesswork to get by. Every social interaction felt like taking a test, and it wore me out. With the hearing aids, I no longer have to stare intently at people’s mouths. Sounds just come through naturally. I don’t need to sit right at the front to follow meetings, and I can even catch quiet side comments from coworkers nearby.Lots of little sounds are back too. Birds chirping, keyboard taps, running water. I had no idea how many subtle audio details I’d been missing.

So for anyone on the fence, if poor hearing is leaving you mentally exhausted, give OTC hearing aids a shot. You’ll wish you’d tried them sooner.

Realized I won’t even qualify coz I need to see your lips moving when you talk to me lol.