u/Carabug11

Does anyone have any tips on how to handle loud environments? I recently developed severe hearing loss in one ear (with existing mild/moderate loss in the other), and have started to go back out into the world. I have been at a few events recently where there were >50 people talking to one another in a small room with music on in the background. Not being able to hear anyone (or identify where a conversation was coming from) obviously made me feel anxious all in itself, but I was surprised to feel so overwhelmed to the point of needing to leave the room. It almost felt like how in the past it would have felt if I stood right next to a very large speaker with static on full blast. 😞 It is quite common for me to be in settings where there are many people talking in small spaces, so I am going to need to figure out how to cope with this. Any ideas?

I'm looking to connect with someone who has mixed hearing loss, with one ear being much worse that is using a BAHA device. (I know this is super specific) Back story: traditional hearing aides would be an appropriate option for me at this point, however after 15+ tubes, and 2 tympanoplasty with cartilage grafts- I have an extreme aversion to putting anything in that ear, and my tragus at this point has no stability to it from all the cartilage removal for the grafts. I've had hearing aides in the past (prior to the grafts) and developed frequent ear infections even from very small domes. I also struggle with very severe ETD in that ear. So understandably traditional hearing aides are not an ideal solution for me.

I had the second tympanoplasty back in February with a very thick and large graft, and my hearing is definitely even worse in that ear. I have the most difficulty understanding what someone is saying, noisy environments are a no-go, and my ability to hear noises from behind or outside of my peripheral vision are almost non-existent. I have another follow-up hearing test in early May, and am confident my audiology exam will be worse this time - and plan on discussing options with my audiologist.

My question is: have any of you ever had hearing loss that you could have used hearing aides yet are using a BAHA? Do you have inner-ear issues/disease or ear structure differences that limit what kind of hearing aides you could utilize? If so- what were your pros and cons? Do you regret your decision, and wish you had gotten regular hearing aides and suffered through it?

Any thoughts would be helpful before I go into this conversation with my audiologist. Any questions you think I should be prepared to ask?

Thanks!

Hi All- I am new to this sub in hopes of finding a community of support for a pretty nuanced need. I am looking for other musicians who have hearing loss and utilize implanted hearing devices (preferably a BAHA). I have mixed hearing loss in both ears, with one ear presenting with significantly worse conductive loss. My only option at this time for hearing support is an implantable device (single sided BAHA). Before I dive head first financially and physically in having the device implanted I am hoping to find a solution to the use of the device as a musician.

The problem: I am a horn player as a hobby, and am pretty committed to keeping this in my life post implantation. The difficulty I have been experiencing is that the BAHA changes your auditory processing just enough in that pitches are about a half step off. Obviously once the device is actually implanted I expect sound quality to improve somewhat, but per my audiologist, this particular issue is unlikely to resolve. Does anyone here use a BAHA and find a solution to this during rehearsal? Practice is fine as I can just turn the processor off and can function well enough without it. Thanks in advance!

Hi All- I am brand spanking new to reddit, and joined actually to try and find a community of folks who use a BAHA as I start my journey. However, I figured I could be helpful to others in a related area that have experienced ETD and hearing loss. I am part of other groups and it seems as if there unfortunately are not a ton of success stories. Having hope is sometimes all you have- so here is a success story.

My history: A scuba diving accident around 15 years ago I suffered some pretty bad trauma to my inner ear from failing to equalize. Unfortunately it was in that moment that I could not ascend without rupturing my eardrum that I realized I probably had ETD. I suffered for many years with pretty significant pressure with extreme difficulty in changing elevations until my ENT suggested we try putting a tube (grommet) in to ventilate it (only one ear was a major problem). This was a wonderful solution for many years, until it wasn't. After 16 tubes, around 10 myringotomy procedures, and 2 tympanoplasty surgeries with cartilage anchored tubes I am completely pain free. It is possible with enough persistence and the right surgeon. I do have significant hearing loss (hence the BAHA) from all of this, but have come out the other side- so know it is possible. Happy to answer any questions you may have about any of it!