doug dot blog…

Alternative title was “It should be at zero” but I felt the click through on that would be low.

It’s been long joked that I don’t listen, or I don’t catch what people say and to be honest, I didn’t think I had really any hearing trouble. Sure I guessed I had tinnitus but that was bearable. I can hear the “ringing” as I type this.

I got my new glasses and also some contact, I had to go back for a checkup and Duncan & Todd, like a lot of places, offer hearing tests as well. I had a quick overview test and got booked in. At least I can say I’ve had a test, I said to myself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The other week, I had my test. It didn’t go exactly as planned. I did the headphone and hearing test with the beeps, I had to press a button when I heard it. The audiologist and I talked over my hearing history and I mentioned my love of gigs and loud music, and said I thought I had tinnitus.

Part of the test charts my hearing in each ear and where it is compared to where it should be. I mentioned how I still put the volume up full in my earphones, and she replied “You’re not hearing music as it should be heard”. 😢

Damn 💔

I guessed something wasn’t right but not that bad. Okay, what do I do? Turn down the music a bit? Continue my utter lack of gig attendance of the last few years compared to my weekly attendance of c. 2003-2013?

Nope. I’m going to need help. I’m being referred to my doctor/Ninewells for a follow up. Oh, okay, cool. Not ideal. “You’ll probably need to look at hearing aids soon so this doesn’t get worse” wut.

“It should be at zero”

She showed me the chart, “normal” good hearing is at that zero line. And well, you can see where I am.

Basically the higher pitch, the worse I hear, but even at lower pitches I still didn’t hear as well as I should.

That dip at 1K is “severe” 😬 At 34, my decade plus of loud music at shows and best part of 20 years of listening with earphones and the music up loud has permanently damaged my hearing.

Permanently.

Plus side, the audiologist did say there are fancy aids with Bluetooth which would turn into my “earphones” 🤓👏🏻🎶

So aye. That happened.