r/MonoHearing

I was born with/have had no hearing in my right ear since I was a baby. As an adult, I've taken more proactive steps to try to make my daily life easier, ask for accommodations, change my social habits to minimize the effect of my deafness, etc., which btw has worked out really well for me and I highly recommend it.

In the last few years, I've noticed one very stubborn and difficult to change social situation where everyone hugs with their heads to the left of each other. Have you noticed this?

Every time someone goes in for a hug, they lean their head to their left (my right). And if I want to be able to hear what they say when they hug me, I have to veer my head right to "force" the hug to be on the correct side for me. Even people who've known of my deafness for as long as they've known me do this, and I don't think it's deliberate or malicious or anything. I think for some reason, when going in for hugs, across many cultures I've encountered, people habitually hug with their head to the left, and the other person's head on their right shoulder. It's similar to shaking hands... basically, everyone shakes with their right hand. It's just what people do.

As a result, I feel like this is specifically a right-sided SSHL issue. If my deaf ear was the left side, it would not be a problem. Kind of like driving in countries where the steering wheel is on the left side of the car, which is where I've lived my whole life. If I'm driving, it's going to be difficult hearing the passenger no matter what I do. I specifically prioritized cars where the driving experience is quiet when buying my last car, but it's still an issue.

The hugging thing is genuinely a very difficult point of social conflict for my disability, and for years I've struggled to find a "fix" for it. I've always gone for the approach of being direct and open, so for a while I thought maybe I could post something on social media like, "Hey, when you hug me, please be mindful of this." But I also don't really use social media anymore and I don't know how many people in my life would actually see it. So I never ended up doing it.

Am I just doomed to do the awkward head veer for the rest of my life? Because people almost always say stuff when hugging and it's basically impossible for me to hear them and it's so annoying to ask them to repeat it every single time. 😭

I developed diplacusis in my left ear about a week ago after a sinus infection. It started with tinnitus, then muffled hearing, and eventually the sound in my left ear shifted to a higher pitch.

Now when I listen to voices or music, it sounds like two people are speaking or singing at once, which is really disturbing and makes it hard to enjoy sound normally.

My ENT prescribed high-dose oral steroids as well as HBOT. I’ve been reading online (mainly Reddit) that some people are given antibiotics instead, so I’m a bit confused about whether steroids are the right treatment for this.

Has anyone had a similar experience with diplacusis after an infection? Did it improve over time, and what treatment helped you?

Hello, sorry if this isnt the right place to post this but I woke up this morning with a loud sudden ringing in my right ear and my hearing in that ear feels a bit muffled/“off” compared to my left. It also feels like pressure or a weird “full” sensation inside my head/ear. The ringing comes and goes but the hearing difference has been pretty noticeable since I woke up.

I went to urgent care the same day because I got really worried. The doctor looked inside my ear and said there’s no infection or anything visibly wrong. He thinks it’s probably something like pressure/Eustachian tube issues or allergies and gave me an antihistamine to take for 10 days and told me to come back if it doesn’t improve.

For context, I’ve also been sleeping mostly on my right side for the past few days because my left ear just got pierced and I’ve been trying not to put pressure on it. I also used AirPods while sleeping recently, so I’m not sure if that could’ve contributed.

has anyone else gone through this? Have you made a full recovery? I'm honestly really scared

Bom dia!
Sábado 27/06 caiu um raio em minha casa muito próximo a mim, onde fiquei com surdez parcial no momento do ocorrido. No domingo e segunda, minha audição melhorou levemente, mas fiquei com um zumbido (tipo apito) direto nos ouvidos e sensação da voz levemente abafada das pessoas.
Quarta dia 01/07 consultei com otorrino e ela me receitou prednisolona e miosan para tomar. Na sexta dia 03/07 fiz meu exame de audiometria, e constatou perda auditiva neurossensorial de grau leve na orelha esquerda e perda auditiva neurossensorial acima de 4000hz na orelha esquerda. Até hoje, dia 04/07, nao notei melhoras ainda após a melhora que teve nos dois primeiros dias do ocorrido. Será que meu caso tem chances de minha audição voltar ao 100% que era antes do ocorrido? ou voltar em quase 100% do que era?

I have an acoustic neuroma and it is large enough that my only option is surgery. I currently have normal hearing in both ears, but following the surgery, the surgeon tells me I will be SSD in my left ear. I’m a bit worried about adjusting to SSD and the resulting change in quality of life.

I’m mostly worried about the loss of sound localization and the ability to detect where sounds are coming from. I’m also worried about not being able to understand people in loud environments.

I like to play immersive video games with headphones on and enjoy the surround sound. I also like to meditate with binaural beats. I also play music with friends and mix and record electronic music. I’m worried I won’t be able to pursue these hobbies anymore.

I’ve tried to plug up one of my ears to simulate what it’s going to be like and it’s depressing and difficult. I have 2-3 months left of normal hearing and I’m trying to make the most of it in what limited time I have left.

I’m not even sure what I’m trying to ask here. Perhaps advice, or just your experience. I’m just wondering what the adjustment experience is like for those who have undergone an abrupt change from normal hearing to SSD.

I won’t be eligible for cochlear implant as the cochlea/auditory nerve is not expected to make it.

40F, Hashimoto’s + thyroidectomy (on levothyroxine).

After a sinus infection I developed sudden left ear tinnitus + sound distortion/pitch change.

ENT recommended high-dose steroids + HBOT, but I haven’t started yet.

I also have osteoarthritis in my knees and I’m worried about AVN and other steroid side effects.

Has anyone here taken high-dose steroids for SSNHL and had side effects?

Hello, I'm a woman in my mid 20s and I have congenital SSD. I found this sub by accident while trying to find out (to no avail) if my deaf ear could have an impact on the way the hot humid weather thats plaguing Ontario rn is making me feel ill. Didn't even know the term single sided deafness and mono hearing until 20 minutes ago!

So, I brought up my deaf ear once to my doctor a few years ago and I was brushed off. Planning on probably pushing the topic but in the meantime I'd like to get some insight I suppose (???)

I grew up doing regular hearing tests that bordered on painful due to how loud they'd end up escalating the sound in my deaf ear. I'm talking makes my brain hurt, sometimes slightly nauseous loud. I could kind of 'hear' the sound when it was loud in my deaf side but in the sense that it was just the vibrations traveling to my good ear. Was told time and time again that because I lack even a slight ability to hear in that ear that I can't get hearing aids and iirc, implants (my memory is bad though so don't fully take my word for it on the latter). I'm unsure if this is a common thing among those with congenital SSD.

My right ear has perfect hearing on the flipside if that helps. I've only had ear infections twice my whole life and they both happened after I reached 20 years old.

Because I've been half deaf all my life it's very normal to me and I practically never think about it except for when it affects something, so I never second guessed it until an EMT that I was talking to about my tongue tie told me very seriously that I should get it looked into as not knowing why was kind of worrying.

In case anyone asks about records, I have various other physical problems as well as mental health problems, most inherited from my parents, and they always made sure that I was aware of the problems I had and was educated on them, so it's not a matter of the cause being hidden from me. Both of my parents have/had bad memories (which I inherited lel) so I think they genuinely just forgot. Parents are divorced from a young age (don't give me sympathy it was a good thing lol) and I lived with my mom so if anyone knew or atleast had paperwork it would've been her, but she passed in my late teens so that information is long gone by now. Dad has lost a lot of his belongings over the years and has brain damage on top of general memory problems AND wasn't usually the one taking me to appts so he def doesn't have any info for me. I wouldn't be surprised if documentation from when I was tested as a baby is long gone too.

I've always been sensitive to weather changes and have TMJ issues. The TMJ issues are probably from growing up tongue tied and not related but I'm mentioning it just in case. I also on occasion get migraines, usually initially unpainful ocular before it turns into a fully painful head migrane. I also have balance problems, but I'm Dyspraxic so... unsure if it's completely related but I have no doubt that it plays a part in making it more obvious.

I cant think of anything else to mention so feel free to ask about anything else that might be relevant. Thank you for reading my word salad.

Edit: I was suffering from heat exhaustion when I wrote this so it ended up being more word saladly than I usually write, sorry!

Hi! I have been pretty much deaf in my left ear for as long as I can remember, I finally decided to see my GP in 2021 as this is when I started to really struggle due to everyone wearing masks. Finally in late 2024 I was given my first BE hearing, I used this for a year and didn't get on with it at all. After an MRI my ENT put me forward for some form of bone conducting hearing aid and I am now under the care of a hearing implant team and I am currently undergoing soft band trials but this is for the oticon and cochlear baha, I don't believe I can do a soft band trial for the magnetic osia.

I am already leaning much more towards the magnetic osia as the idea of the abutment is not for me, especially as I can struggle with sensory things and I really think my hair and the abutment would drive me crazy, hence why the magnetic osia has been more favourable for me thus far. My issue is that I have gotten on really well with the sound quality of the oticon baha and then when i tried the cochlear baha i really did not get on with the sound quality anywhere near as much and now I'm worried that the sound quality will of the osia will be similar to the cochlear baha and I won't get on with it as i believe they are both done by cochlear.

I guess my question is did anyone else do the soft band trials have the same experience with preferring the sound from oticon but still go ahead with the magnetic osia and then what did you think of the sound quality. Also any other pointers or pros and cons about the various devices to aid me in my decision will also be greatly appreciated.

Hi doctors,

I’m a 40-year-old female (168 cm, 79 kg), non-smoker, non-drinker.

I developed a sinus infection about a week ago. Shortly after, I started having constant buzzing (tinnitus) in my left ear. Sounds in that ear also seem higher in pitch/distorted compared to the right.

I had a mild reduction in hearing in the left ear for about 8–9 years, but it was stable and not changing before this infection.

Since the sinus infection, the change was sudden. I also occasionally notice mild itchiness inside the same ear.

I saw an ENT and had a hearing test done. They suggested high-dose oral steroid tablets and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). I have not started treatment yet because I’m concerned about side effects of high-dose steroids.

Medical history:

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC)

On levothyroxine 137 mcg daily

No smoking or alcohol

My questions:

Does this sound consistent with sudden sensorineural hearing loss or Eustachian tube dysfunction after infection?

How urgent is starting steroids in this situation?

Is HBOT actually beneficial in cases like this?

What are the realistic risks of a short high-dose steroid course in someone with my history?

Thank you.

tl;dr: Left side hearing loss for a musician who no longer can hear himself. Gets hearing aids, now being told they are not covered by insurance.

So, I lost 60 dB suddenly on my left side on March 10. Went through oral Prednisone, ITS shots, acupuncture, and naturopathic therapies. No luck.

I play viola in a symphony, and after my hearing loss I could not hear myself playing in the orchestra. In my day job (IT) I struggle at times with Teams calls and any meeting where more than one conversation is going at a time.

Got fitted for crossover hearing aids on April 15. During the appointment, my audiologist, who I really like, told me that because I had met my annual out-of-pocket maximum, low end hearing aids would cost me $193, midrange would cost $193, and high end would cost...$193. Guess which ones I chose...

I received them on May 15 and was reasonably pleased with the sound quality I could hear while playing the viola. A couple weeks later I performed in an orchestra concert, and I could hear myself and the orchestra fine. Great, so I can still perform in the orchestra!

Five weeks after getting my hearing aids, the ENT office called me to tell me the claim for my hearing aids was denied by my insurance. Seems they only cover hearing aids for "claimants under 26 years old."

Preposterous, I thought. How many people under 26 need hearing aids?

Well, after digging through and finding my insurance coverage booklet, there is indeed a line saying this benefit is only for those under 26 years old. Typo? No. I called the insurance company, and although the guy was sympathetic, he confirmed this was true - although admitting he was unfamiliar with this kind of clause.

I called my benefits provider, and they said, "your employer did not purchase the adult hearing aid rider. You might encourage them to do so for the 2027 year plan..."

Having done more research, I find that in the U.S. it is highly uncommon for hearing aids to be covered -- at all. 20 or so states require hearing aid coverage ... for kids, but less so for adults. This may be old news to others who have dealt with hearing loss longer than I have.

I was so in the throes of dealing with my hearing loss, I just followed the ENT and audiologist's suggestions rather than reading the fine print of my insurance coverage.

So, now I get to decide whether I'm going to a) pay $4800+ for these hearing aids, b) return them and try my luck with some cheap Costco hearing aids (assuming they even have crossover hearing aids), and/or c) investigate whether I can get partial disability for suffering profound hearing loss in one ear (and see if that entitles me to more coverage, reimbursement, etc.).

I was remarkably serene going through my hearing loss journey up until now. I don't suffer from dizziness, nausea, balance issues, or headaches, and my tinnitus is minor. And I can still do the things I love to do, especially playing viola.

But this plot twist has me exasperated, angry, and confused.

If any of you have any suggestions, I'd be grateful to hear them.

Hello everyone, i'm suffering from a single sided moderate hearing loss on high pitches and i'm wondering if anyone here know any app on android that allow us to setup separate equalizers for left and right ears when listening to music or watching videos with a headset in order to re-adjust the symmetry. Every app that I check only seems to have just a mono equalizer and a global volume panning, which is not really suited for a single sided hearing loss on specific pitch.

Does anyone know an app capable of that on android or such a program on windows ?

I'm not sure this is the best sub but it's the one that I know that fits best. A little over a year ago I got the flu, which ended up turning into pneumonia and I was sick for nearly a month. about a week or two into the sickness both of my ears clogged up with fluid in the middle ear. after a ton of ent visita and hearing tests I got a 5ube placed in my left hear. they were able to suction an insane amount of fluid out but unfortunately my hearing has never improved. I'm about 7 months with the tube in and my left ear legit sounds worse than the free headphones they give you on a flight. its bad to the point I can't take a call using my left ear. I also ended up with bad tinnitus 24/7.

my right ear seems fairly normal now, never ended up getting a tube in that one. but I'm pretty sure it's not the same before this happened.

I just wanted to see if anyone else has dealt with something like this. I'm feeling extra down about it today. it genuinely makes me feel incredibly sad. Music is a huge part of my life, what am I supposed to do when my ear is literally the lowest fidelity part of my setup? And then to top it off I can never enjoy silence again (which I would do often before the tinnitus)

my right ear definitely compensates but when I use headphones it's glaringly obvious just how shot my left ear is.

I'm a teacher and others were sick at school, on 12/18/25 I started to get dizzy and nauseous around 10 am. I blew it off as I have hEds, Achalasia, gastropersis and so much more. By 2 pm I couldn't hear from my left ear. I made an appt with my PCP for a few days away, it got moved to 12/31. I considered urgent care, but with my health history I figured I'd waste $150 on a "it's anxiety" visit. In the end it took till May of 26 to get into an ENT. I was diagnosed with profound to severe hearing loss. We tried steroids and the tests showed improvement to severe to moderate, I can hear words better, supposedly. I am 25 hours into trialing a hearing aid. The tiny bit in the ear hurts and is causing a bit of nausea and I cannot use a phone on that side.

The phone is a HUGE issue for my job. I am a special education teacher for in-person AND remote students. I spend a lot of time working with students over the phone. I have to document the conversations carefully, and I write with my right hand. I can't hold the phone with my shoulder, I'll dislocate something. (I tried today, didn't go well). A cochlear implant is on the table, I just don't know what to think or do. I fear I'll lose my job if I need any more adaptations. Our HR lady told me she wasn't sure I should be allowed to use my forearm crutches while I waited a year for my hip replacement. Not because she needed a docs note for ADA reasons, just that it would be a 'problem'. She made FMLA for my hip surgery a nightmare. Now I need things rewired in my classroom so I don't have to have deaf side facing students while I use my podium, I need other teachers to use the wearable mics, etc etc. I am worried about struggling to use a phone as well.

I'm rambling, but who went with implant and how did it go for you. And hints on using a phone, it's already been hard today.

Thanks

Hi everyone!! I have done 4 years bachelor’s degree in travel and tourism, currently doing intern at the travel agency handling tour operator position. I have let my colleagues and senior know my condition called single sided deafness hoping they will show patience when i ask something repeatedly. My manager is so nice to me he motivates me nothing can stops you if you’re willing to learn and give a best . One day he asked my senior to teach me visa processing ( tourism related work ) but she was so rude so impatience with me that I asked question multiple times , I was so excited with learning new things in industry and it completely broke me down.
She says i learned too slow that I can’t keep pace with her and she prefers to teach another intern guy as he don’t need to ask questions multiple times and he understand things faster. These thing really broke me down questioning myself why god do unfair with the abilities or gives a nonfunctional organ when all the surviving in the job is good listening and active speaker

I'm 32. I got hit in the side of the head with a baseball playing in a rec league with friends 2 weeks ago. I have been deaf in that ear since the moment I was hit. The audiologist tells me it is profound sensorineural hearing loss that most likely will not recover. I am still waiting to see ENT. I have so many questions that aren't answered.

I'm devastated. I know things could have been so much worse, and I still have hearing in my other ear for which I am more grateful than ever in my life. But I am sad, and scared about what the future will be like. I have two young kids (2 and 3) who I worry my hearing loss will somehow impact my raising them (e.g. what if I don't hear a car coming when we're playing on the sidewalk?).

I just want to hear from someone who's maybe been in a similar situation that this phase of adjusting to life with hearing loss is the hardest part and that things will get better. That I'll get used to the constant tinnitus and difficulty tolerating loud/noisy places. That I will be distracted enough by the many great things in my life to not give much thought to it down the road.

Thank you for reading if you made it this far.

For you music listeners out there

I have late in life auditory nerve-based SSD, 100% hearing loss in the affected ear (vestibular schwannoma)

I’m a decades-long critical music listener / audiophile. It’s been a hard adjustment to the loss of a stereo soundstage. I didn’t even know what was happening until the schwannoma was diagnosed). But it is what it is and I’ve leaned into it with nice gear upgrades to get the most out the experience

So, after 2+ years of being modestly disappointed with even my nice equipment, I dug in on speaker placement, mono summing vs stereo, and wearing not wearing my CROS device and landed on a darn good set up:
- speakers almost side by side on my hearing side separated by 6” or so, and offset from each other along an imaginary arc, toed in to point at my good ear
- stereo out
- No CROS hearing aid

With speakers separated across the room, I was missing to much information in stereo. So I tried countless settings with my CROS device and basically, they suck. Tinny and delivered maybe half the actual volume from the right speaker to my left (good) ear. In mono, stereo recordings were smudging.

With speakers on the same side of the room, mono was not only smudging, but introducing comb filtering. It was smudged AND chaotic. And then, set the output to stereo and oh my gosh, transformative.

For any of you SSD folks there trying to optimize your listening, give this setup a try!

Now, If I could only make the damn tinittus go away…. 😊