I’ve never been that sociable but thought it was because I’m an introvert. Then I learned I have a rare type of hearing loss | Rachael Groessler

1 day ago 1

Yes, I frequently asked people to repeat themselves. Yes, I had trouble hearing dialogue on TV. And I often wondered if people were aware that they mumbled. That wasn’t the impetus to get my hearing checked though. What got me to the doctor was that I was having trouble eavesdropping at work. I was sure there had been a time when I could hear conversations that didn’t concern me.

Even though I had made the appointment, I figured it was sinus trouble or perhaps my ears needed syringing. But my GP said my ears were clear and didn’t even mention my sinuses. Instead she did a simple hearing test that involved rustling some paper in one ear while whispering in another. She asked me to repeat what she had whispered and I think I replied: “Did you say something?” I left with a referral to an audiologist.

As medical tests go, hearing checks are kind of fun. I was given headphones to put on, through which were played a series of words at loud, medium and whispery volumes. I had to repeat the words as I heard them. Another test involved pressing a button every time I heard a beep, also at different volumes and pitches and which seemed to come from different directions. There’s some stuff with a tuning fork and the audiologist checked if I could hear through my skull.

At the end of the test, which I was sure I had aced, the audiologist announced the results: mild to moderate mid-frequency hearing loss. Mid-frequency is where people speak so it explained why I wanted to shout at people, “For God’s sake, enunciate!”

Believe it or not, even though I had got to the point of getting a hearing test, the result blindsided me. I thought the diagnosis would be something temporary and easily treated. Although I was stunned, I managed to ask a few questions: What causes it? (It is congenital.) How much of my hearing have I lost? (About 30%.) Will it get worse? (Deterioration is slow.) Do I need hearing aids? (They would help but aren’t essential at this stage.)

I left the audiologist’s clinic in a bit of a daze as I absorbed this unexpected news about myself. I Googled it when I got home and discovered I have one of the rarest types of hearing loss. It also has a cute nickname – “cookie bite” hearing loss (because the test results resemble a cookie with a bite taken out of it). It is there from birth but deteriorates noticeably in adulthood, with the average age of diagnosis being late 30s. I was 40. Hearing loss doesn’t run in my family, so how I got it is a mystery.

I thought being an introvert was why I have never been that sociable. But the news of hearing loss made me realise introversion wasn’t the only reason. When I went to pubs or nightclubs, I wondered how everyone else chatted so easily. I couldn’t hear conversation unless people shouted at me and I thought I had to shout back, which isn’t at all enjoyable. If I’m somewhere with background noise, or the din of chatter, I have to concentrate hard to hear.

I missed bits of dialogue in movies and TV, and I put that down to drama schools not teaching actors to speak clearly any more. Subtitles have been a revelation. I have been genuinely surprised at how much dialogue I have been missing (although these days people with perfectly good hearing also complain about inaudible dialogue because sound mixing isn’t what it used to be).

So the big question: hearing aids and do I need them? My GP says it is something to consider in the future. Audiologists advise it would help now because I wouldn’t have to work so hard to hear. I did trial some and immediately understood what the audiologists meant. Talking to people was easier. I have got used to the effort needed to hear people and the mental fatigue is real.

Then there’s the cost of hearing aids to factor into my decision. I had assumed the price might be about the same as a laptop or a mobile phone, maybe.

I got an email advertising an exclusive offer on premium hearing aids. The regular price was discounted by $3,000. The new “bargain” price? $5,995. Yes, there are less expensive models but the type of hearing aid is partially determined by the type of hearing loss. Medicare subsidies are available only for pension recipients. So I’ll be taking the advice of my GP and getting them later. Much later.

Until then, please enunciate.