ENT - 1 replies - 1 verified provider replies
Question
Hi! Okay so, I’m flight crew and I’ve noticed something that I’m wondering if it could indicate a hearing issue/condition?
On the ground, I generally hear people fine. But once we’re in the air, I struggle much more than my coworkers to understand conversations unless the person is physically close to me. I can be standing between two people talking and have trouble making out what either person is saying, even though they can hear each other. Its like i have to "tune in" to speech. Its not a hearing loss because I can hear dings and passengers calling from a distance better than my coworkers usually.
Side note on things that might or might not matter: I always need CC on tv, mostly because I hate the idea of missing a word someone is saying (because it might be important later) but also because it makes speech more clear, and this is true for my first language too. I also have misophonia, I get a strong emotional irritation and anger to certain noises like a fork and knife touching/scratching a regular plate or some high pitch sounds. This is to the point that I have plastic and silicone plates at home and I try to not go out to eat with large group of people as it increases the chances of it happening lmao. Also I experience ASMR with certain sounds.
So idk, lots of odd things with my hearing, any ideas/recommendations?
Discussion replies
Anonymous Provider - Verified provider
What you’re describing sounds less like a problem with hearing sounds and more like difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. Some people have normal hearing on standard tests but struggle with speech discrimination, especially with background noise.
Given your difficulty following conversations on aircraft, reliance on CC, and need to “tune in” to speech, I’d definitely consider seeing an audiologist. Be sure to mention your speech-in-noise difficulties, as specialized testing can evaluate this more thoroughly than a routine hearing test. Misophonia and ASMR don’t necessarily indicate hearing loss, but they do suggest your auditory system may process sounds differently. I think a hearing evaluation would be important, especially given your occupation and noise exposure.
CareIMO discussions are educational and do not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your own clinician.