Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Speak Up!

The way my desk is positioned at work makes it to where 98% of the conversations I have are on my right side (your left). The only thing I have to listen for on my left is someone coming in through the front door of the office. And when I play video games, or talk on the phone, or do anything having to do with listening with one ear, I almost exclusively use my right ear. So naturally, when one of my ears decides to stop working, it's the right one.

I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but I woke up last week with what I can only describe as a muted ear. I can hear out of it, but only a little bit. And everything I hear on that side sounds like I'm hearing it from underwater. And up until today, it cleared up after a few hours. Something would unclog, and my hearing would come back. But today, I've sat at my desk unable to hear my coworkers, feeling lopsided and unbalanced.

I've tried everything: eardrops, Q-tips (against the recommended use), peroxide, warm water, pounding my fist against my sideburn. But nothing has worked. Everyone still sounds like they're talking to me in an aquarium. And it's starting to make me dizzy.

I'm almost to the point that I would try one of those ear candles (which always sounds like a mad lib). But sticking something into my head and then lighting it goes against my gut instinct. So I might hold off on that until it's both ears.

3 comments:

Landry said...

Suck it up. My right ear has been stuffed up since last August, as in 2009. I haven't had full hearing in it since then. It constantly feels like something is in it.

Leah Hollett said...

Please do try an ear candle! It's not as bad as you think. They are incredible!

Anonymous said...

Has your hearing come back? I went deaf in the left ear on January 3, 2008 and have remained deaf. I can hear deep sounds, feel high sounds and have no speech recognition. It is called senorineural hearing loss. Go see a Dr. ASAP if you still can't hear and do steroid injections. You have a 14 day window closing up real quick to get some hearing back!

Signed: Your German friend :)