r/HearingLoss

My wife got her cochlear implant for single-sided deafness less than a year ago. She wears it all day, and has had continuous improvement in a number of areas, but some difficulty listening to books directly into her cochlear ear. Here is her question. She posted this yesterday on her FaceBook group without any response. "I have single-sided deafness and love my improved hearing with a Cochlear Implant. However, it’s really difficult to have true binaural hearing when one ear is hearing acoustically and the other is hearing electronically. I am thinking especially of when I listen to audiobooks or stream media. I either stream through my Cochlear implant while reading the book (though it is sometimes difficult to find both a print copy and an audiobook at the same time) or watch tv w captions — or listen in my hearing ear with an AirPod (while walking outside or?) Can anyone recommend a good set of over the ear headphones to mitigate this problem? Does your hearing seem more binaural?". Her cochlear is by Cochlear America, Model Nucleas 8, over the ear. She uses the TV streaner regularly with subtitles.

Out of the blue I started having double hearing (diplacusis). If anyone can relate, you’ll know it sounds like double voices and music sounds distorted from the different pitches. It gave me a panic attack and had wanted to end it right then and there. I was crying out of fear and desperation to get my hearing back. I'm confident I experienced a complete nervous breakdown OUT OF NOWHERE triggered by stress buildup. I was chilling on the couch and randomly I got hit with this.

Now looking up threads because while the hearing issue is tapering off hours later, I’m so shocked at what happened.

I don’t know where to start to avoid this from happening or even growing into something far worse altogether.

Back in February, I experienced similar with tinnitus in one ear and I know I was stressing out. I've had eye twitching before too. Both eventually went away but nothing compares to this morning.

I’m still in disbelief. Almost as if my mind started attacking my body. So scary... I know the problems in the mind can manifest in the body.

What are the steps I can do to prevent this and or improve mental health.
I do listen to earbuds for work related purposes for most of the day but I've been doing this for years without issue.

Any advice appreciated.

Hoy me hicieron una timpanometria en los oídos, en el oído con buena audición la timpanometria salió bien pero cuando intentaron hacerla en el oído con hipoacusia daba error y no fueron capaces de hacer la timpanometria, me preguntaron si estaba operado del oído al cual dije que no y por más veces que lo intentaron no pudieron a que es debido, puede ser fallo de mi oído medio

Ok so it’s 5am and I just feel bitter. One vacation year, my twin had suddenly gotten permanent hearing loss in one ear because my little brother had decided to scream full volume directly into it as a sort of “prank” and when my twin was hurt and distraught over it my parents wanted to kick him (twin) out of the car because he was being “too dramatic” about it lol. My twin is autistic and had always had auditory processing problems growing up and he’s always had issues with loud sounds— and in one moment, his silence was taken away. He keeps background music on most of the time because the tinitus is loud in one ear constantly now— it makes it hard for him to hear me on the phone. My parents immediately wanted him to never talk about it again. Idk is it weird that it *still* keeps me up at night? That disability can strike so quick and *literally instantly* that person is met with ableism instead of care? That violence among little boys is immediately made room for if the target isn’t worthy enough? It keeps me up at night.

Edit: Yes, you can get lasting damage from someone screaming directly into your ear. I won’t argue with that one.

Hi everyone,
I had an ear infection about two weeks ago. Initially, I was prescribed Terracortril ear drops, but they didn’t really help because my ear canal was extremely swollen and narrow. I could barely get the drops in.
I was then given a one week course of oral flucloxacillin and also had an ear wick/packing placed in the ear. After starting the antibiotics, things improved significantly and the pain completely went away.
Once I finished the antibiotics, I went back to the doctor. They removed the packing and cleaned out some dried blood and debris from the ear.
Since then, I have had reduced hearing and a constant feeling of fullness/blockage in the ear. I also have quite noticeable tinnitus. There is no pain anymore.
I can’t really equalize the pressure in the ear. When I try, nothing seems to happen and I don’t want to force it because it feels uncomfortable.
Has anyone experienced something similar after a severe ear infection or ear canal infection?
Is it normal for hearing to remain reduced and for the ear to feel blocked for a couple of weeks after the infection has cleared? Could this be fluid behind the eardrum or swelling that is still healing?
I’m mainly wondering how long it took for other people’s hearing to return to normal and whether I should get it checked again.
Thanks!

TL;DR: Had a severe ear infection 2 weeks ago with a very swollen ear canal. Terracortril drops didn’t work, so I was given oral flucloxacillin and an ear wick. The infection and pain are now gone, but I still have reduced hearing, a blocked/full feeling and tinnitus. Equalizing pressure doesn’t do anything. Is this normal, and how long can it take for hearing to return?

My husband (68) is losing his hearing. It was never good but now really bad. But he absolutely will not deal with this problem because it insults his sense of manhood or something. So what he does instead of saying "I'm sorry, come again?" etc. is to parody back what I have said as if I routinely say something completely bonkers. I say "that's good to know" and he barks at me "no I did NOT say it is going to snow." I say "how's the balcony doing" and he says "what do you mean how is the spousal scene" (I am the spouse and there is nobody else in this marriage). How do people handle this? I don't want him to feel embarrassed about his hearing but I have Absolutely. Had. It. being treated like I come out with random gibberish all the time.

My wife called me from the kitchen last week.
Normally I guess in that situation.
Was she saying my name?
Was she asking me to grab something?
Was she just talking to herself?
I usually answer something random or walk over like I heard her. A lot of the time I didn’t.
That day she didn’t yell or repeat herself three times. She just came to the doorway, looked at me, and said it again. Such a small thing, but it hit me weirdly hard.
I realized how much of my day has been guessing.
Guessing what the cashier said.
Guessing why people laughed.
Guessing if someone was talking to me.
Guessing if my wife was already tired of repeating herself.
I’ve started taking it more seriously now. Went to Costco for a hearing test and I’ve been trying to wear hearing aids more regularly. My wife had bought me a Vivtone Bluetooth hearing aid a while back, after months of me saying I’d deal with it later. I finally stopped leaving it in the drawer.
The extra noise still gets to me. The fridge, traffic, dishes, footsteps. Some days I take them out because my brain is just done.
But a few days ago I caught a quiet joke from a friend without asking what. For some reason that stayed with me.
Maybe it’s not that everything is suddenly easy.
I’m just not guessing my way through every little thing anymore.

I want to share what happened to me because I’ve seen a lot of people in this community consider or try HBOT, and I think there’s a real risk that isn’t talked about enough.

In April 2026, the day after breast surgery, I went to a hyperbaric oxygen clinic for a routine session, something I’d done before without any issues. There was no health screening, no questions about recent surgery or anaesthesia, and no active guidance beyond “swallow normally.” The consent form only mentioned general “ear barotrauma” as a risk, nothing about sensorineural hearing loss specifically.

The session itself felt completely normal. No pain, no pressure, no difficulty equalizing. About 40 minutes after leaving the chamber, my right ear felt very different. My first audiogram showed severe to profound loss

I was diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and started aggressive treatment immediately: oral prednisone, nine intratympanic steroid injections, and eventually a course of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. Nearly five months later, I’ve made substantial recovery, though I’m still not sure if I’ll get back to 100%.

What I want people to know:
Inner ear barotrauma from HBOT is a real, documented risk, even though it’s rare and rarely discussed. It can happen with no pain and no warning signs during the session itself, because the cochlea doesn’t have the same pain feedback as the middle ear.

If you’re considering HBOT, ask the clinic directly what screening they do, whether they ask about recent surgery, illness, or medications, and what their specific consent process covers regarding hearing risk. If they can’t answer clearly, that’s a red flag.

This wasn’t something I did anything wrong to cause. It happened during a routine, previously uneventful treatment, at a clinic with essentially no safety protocols in place. I’m sharing this so that if it happens to you, you know it’s real, you’re not alone, and early aggressive treatment gives you the best chance at recovery.

Before this session I had totally normal hearing, no hearing issues, no hearing loss. Since the session I’ve had hearing loss, intense dysacusis and on/off tinnitus.

I gained this skill after my tympanoplasty with cortical mastoidectomy 2.5 years ago and am feeling I would get the same in my right ear in which i got the surgery.

I work for a company in China that makes OTC hearing aids, mostly for other brands to sell under their own name. I'm not on the production side, so I'm here to ask rather than explain.

Return rates in this category run high. The figures that get quoted are 15 to 30 percent, and the reasons that end up on the form are always the same four. Not loud enough. Nobody to call. Whistling. Doesn't fit. Those feel too tidy to me.

What I'd like to know is the specific moment. Not the box you ticked, the thing that actually decided it. A particular restaurant. One phone call that went badly. Something somebody said to you.

If you sent a pair back, or came close and kept them, I'd like to hear what it really was.

No product talk from me and no links. Happy to answer manufacturing questions if anyone has them.

• Samsung Newsroom - Samsung’s Hearing Aid Feature on Galaxy Buds Cleared by FDA
• Korea Herald - FDA clears Galaxy Buds to function as hearing aids

> The Hearing Aid and Hearing Test features will be available on Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro in the U.S. and select approved markets in Q4 2026.

> Available on Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Galaxy Buds4 Pro only.

> Availability may vary by market, model or paired device. The Hearing Aid feature is intended for users 18 years and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment by a qualified clinician.

> Full support requires a compatible Galaxy device with One UI 8 or later.

About 10 years ago I had fullness in my right ear and was bit obsessed with finding an answer. I was able to hear my footsteps like a my ear drum was beating to the impact and I could hear my heartbeat. After seeing my primary and several ENTs, the last ditch effort was an ear tube. It made things worse for about a week, then it was back to that fullness. A year later I went in to get the tube checked. It was still there and that ENT took it out. A week later, that's when my hearing distortion episodes started.

Each episode is typically unique as to what happens when so I consistently sound insane every time I describe it. At first, my episodes were endless and I had no idea what to expect. I did originally get vertigo so the ENT diagnosed me with meniere's immediately. I went 6 years before another ENT said that was misdiagnosed.

It's been the pattern for the past 3 years that I go 6 months without any distortion, usually between February, March to August, September. When they start back up, I might get a day or so of good hearing before it comes back.

These are my symptoms and where I'm at a complete loss and really need some help. I'm going into full detail because doctors can't figure it out and they don't seem to take me seriously. I have constant tinnitus but it changes. I have my low pitch "good" tinnitus when my hearing is correct. That's my indicator of when episodes are coming on. When it wavers and goes away, I feel more fullness coming on and I'm guaranteed an episode. That tinnitus is replaced with a very faint and extremely high pitched tone accompanied by fullness that intensifies and dissipates throughout my episode. It almost sounds like I have my ear next to a tube TV playing static and feels heavy as if it's actually there. At the beginning of my episode, I can hear but it's very distorted. I have 2 pitches I hear in my right ear. It's every sound and most aggressively with my own voice, which is absolute torture. About midway and towards the hopeful end of my episode, the fullness and that static sound gets so aggressive that I can barely hear anything. The good news is that I can't hear well enough to hear the distortion unless it's loud enough, bad news is that when sounds are loud enough, it's painful and sounds like a broken speaker giving me a headache pain relievers don't help. I also get symptoms towards days 5 and 6 or my episodes of the beginning of a cold that will go away typically within a day.

This type of episode usually lasts a week or so and I know it sounds like I have it figured out but it doesn't always happen this way. I would hope for this pattern but if it doesn't follow it, I can't predict what will happen or how long it'll last. I do know when my hearing is about to come back to normal when my good tinnitus comes back.

There really doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it but I have hunches that are continuously ignored by doctors. I have my theories about allergies, barometric pressure, and stress. A pinched vagus nerve was also a thought. I've looked at other threads and found some potential with acoustic neuroma. I have begged for a scan but I haven't had one does since these episodes started coming on. I've also asked about hearing aids but no conversation has come out of that. It's been an actual nightmare trying to get this figured out. I am at my wit's end and hoping I'm not completely alone.

Hello, I noticed my right ear was extremely muffled last week. After about 3-4 days, I went to urgent care. The Dr saw clear fluid behind both ear drums and prescribed flonase. I went to primary care the next day for a 2nd opinion. This Dr told me to come back in 2 weeks if hearing hasn't improved. Neither Dr did hearing tests of any kind, they just looked at my ears for about a minute and that's it before prescribing me allergy meds. Ive had allergies my entire life and never had hearing loss. I've been taking my meds as I should and it's been 5 days since the urgent care appt with no improvement. I actually had tinnitus begin last night as well.

I don't feel comfortable waiting two weeks to get checked again, and feel im not being taken seriously. Am I overreacting or should I go back and demand q referral to an ENT?