Hearing sensitivity in nonAN ear

[Nancy Drew]

I have noticed that loud noises, especially high pitched noises, are magnified in my nonAN ear.  I have to cover my nonAN ear sometimes to drown out the sound.  The hearing in both of my ears is fairly good.  What's up with this?

NANCY

[Jim Scott]

Nancy:

I'm guessing that the AN-affected ear may have lost just enough hearing to give the perception that noise is amplified in the unaffected ear.  Of course, I could be mistaken, so this might be a good question for your doctor/audiologist.   In any case, for obvious reasons, always do whatever you can to protect the 'good' ear. 

Jim

[kenneth_k]

Hi Nancy.
I also have fairly good hearing but have experienced the same during an F-16 fighter aircraft overfly at work.
The noise was tremendous and I felt pain in my good ear, but not in the bad one. I didn't cover my ears because I wanted to test if there was any difference.
My guess is the same as Jim's.

Best regards, Kenneth

[Nancy Drew]

Thanks all for your replies.  I will be seeing the doc next week for pre op visit, and I will ask about this situation.  Jim, do you have SSD?  If you do, how has your nonAN ear handled the hearing loss?  When I was at my volunteer job at Children's Hospital yesterday, there was a child in the playroom who had gotten carried away while playing on the Wii video game.  He was screaming pretty loud, and  I had to leave the room for awhile because the noise was too overwhelming to take.  I sure hope things will even out once I have GK.  I have heard that your nonAN ear usually compensates for hearing loss in the AN ear.  True or not?

Konnie,

Maureen who had surgery back in August is an avid bike rider.  She hasn't posted for awhile so I don't know if she has gotten back on her bike yet.  Hopefully she won't have any problems with biking because she is one of those who road bikes 50 miles with no trouble.  I also like to bike, and I worry about how hearing loss (should I lose more) will affect me since my AN is on my left side also which is most important since that is the side cars go on.  Congrats for getting back on your bike--just be careful.  Do you have any off road bike paths in your area?  We have over 300 miles here.  I am hoping that will make biking safer since I won't have to contend with cars.  However, I have done the MS 150 bike tours, and I plan to keep on doing them.  Mostly I hear "on your left" since I am a slow rider.  Hope I don't get the wits scared out of me because I can't hear very well.  Maureen had the same thing happen with the phone. Seems AN people can always relate with some AN issues in one way or another.  From what I understand, you kind of have to find tricks to get you through the problems associated with ANs.

Thanks for feedback and best wishes to all with hearing challenges.

Nancy   

[konnie]

Nancy.
thank you for your in put, yes we do have bike paths in my area, however you have to cross many streets to get to them.
I just have to pay extra attention when crossing and riding along streets.
I can hardly wait until i start driving and how the hearing thing will effect with that. i already ditched my cell phone use  in the car.
it was dangerious even with two hearing ears, not to mention only one... i can see it now (sorry officier but i was talking on the phone and i didn't hear your siruns.  maybe if i show him my scar from AN surgery he will let me go,  or he will think i'm nuts and lock me up for even driving in the first place.... i know i went off a little on the deep end but just having fun..

ps. i just read my last post and realized i put one to many m's in coming oh well i hope you had a good laugh...
i blame it on the surgery.  i have always been a bad speller my husband teases me about it all the time.  he said (ha wouldn't that be great if they take the tumor out and all of the sudden you are this genius ...like that was the reason i am a bad speller...
any way that didn't happen if anything it has gotten worse.
konnie

[Nancy Drew]

Hi Konnie,

I was wondering what happened to your post (it's missing), and no, I didn't even notice the extra "m".  You don't have to be perfect here so don't worry about spelling, etc.  I just found a post here put up by Phyl about ANs and cognitive/emotional issues.  A lot of people are talking about having problems with spelling, problems with finding the right words, etc., and I found that post to be helpful in understanding the cognitive/emotional issues related to ANs.  Apparently these issues can come up pre-treatment and post treatment.   

I am terrible with talking on the phone and driving.  Just try not to do it anymore or pull over.  How long before you can drive?  When I get back on my bike, I will definitely get someone to ride with me should I have any hearing issues that might cause any problems with passing noises.  Even on trails there are runners and other bikers that come from behind and sneak up on you. 

Those of you who have SSD or who have lost a lot of hearing, do you find yourself talking louder?  I guess other people would have to tell you that in order for you to know.  Even though I only have slight hearing loss, sometimes people tell me I talk kind of loud.  Just curious.  I would sure hate to be talking too loud about a sensitive topic when there are others around who don't need to be hearing what I am saying (like in a hospital setting).  Or shouting out in the movie theater, "Can you pass the popcorn down this way!"

Nancy