Steve EasterbrookAug 2, 2024
Two years ago, I experienced Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL), and am now almost completely deaf in one ear. This year, one of my colleagues had the same thing. Now I see there's a study out showing a strong correlation between COVID and SSNHL.
I guess that explains a lot. But, shit.
BTW If you find you suddenly lose hearing in one ear, get yourself to a specialist *immediately*. You have a 24-36 hour window to save your hearing before it becomes permanent.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00338-9/fulltext
Show threadSteve EasterbrookAug 3, 2024
What’s it like to suddenly lose hearing in one ear, you ask? The other ear works fine, right?
First, it’s a hidden disability. Nobody notices, unless I tell them, which can feel awkward and embarrassing. Took me a long time to get over that.
With only one ear, I’ve lost all ability to detect where sound is coming from.
That means I can’t filter out background noise. I can have a perfectly normal conversation in a quiet environment. But if there’s background noise it gets hard rapidly. 1/n
Show threadSteve EasterbrookAug 3, 2024
So I won’t be able to hear you in busy restaurants, urban streets, anywhere with background music, crowds, parties, or anywhere where several people are talking at once.
Teaching is now really difficult. We’ve installed air purifiers in all our classrooms, but they make enough of a hum that I can’t hear the students very well. I like to use a lot of breakout discussion in my classes, but I can’t hear anything any of them are saying if I do that.
2/n
Show threadSteve EasterbrookAug 3, 2024
It’s hard to find quiet restaurants, although I’ve discovered if you eat earlier in the evening it tends to be quieter. But why do they all need background music? Most wont even turn it down when I ask.
Academic conferences are particularly hard. The talks are fine. The rest is not. For me, the value of a conference is in the informal conversations in coffee breaks, and over lunch or dinner. I can’t do that now.
3/n
Show threadSteve EasterbrookAug 3, 2024
The first conference I went to after my hearing loss, I signed up for the banquet, and sat with a group of people whose work I really wanted to hear about. There was a live band playing throughout the meal. I couldn’t even hear the person next to me who was talking into my good ear. And I couldn’t explain why I was being so antisocial.
I left halfway through and walked back to my hotel in tears.
Ironically I’d been to a panel session earlier that day about making the field more accessible…
4/n
Show threadSteve EasterbrookAug 3, 2024
So I’ve learned a lot about dealing with a hidden disability. Nobody notices your disability unless you tell them, which is usually socially awkward.
Then they’ll make all sorts of wrong assumptions about it.
Some then make a fuss over it, which can be even more embarrassing.
Some get more embarrassed themselves as if it’s their fault I can’t hear them.
I understand these reactions - they’re meant well.
But they don’t help.
It’s best just to ask me if I need any accommodations.
5/n
Show threadan_believable
@steve Thanks for this good describtion!
I have a moderate low- and mid-frequency hearing loss on both sides and therefore have very similar problems to yours. Sometimes people even don't believe me, when I tell them, what I can hear and what situations are difficult or even a No-Go, just because they can't see it and I can follow conversations well in a quiet environment - and if the people I'm talking to are no more than 1-2m away from me.
I was diagnosed in the pandemic, but I don't know if there is a direct connection, probably it's more genetic in my case (because both-sided and does not affect high-frequencies).
I was teaching, too, but I had to stop doing that because of my hearing loss. I'm currently reorienting myself towards social work.
Aug 4, 2024 at 11:56amWeb