Since a mistake during an operation in 2014, I have been completely deaf in one ear. That has caused quite a few limitations in my (social) life. Until last year, when I stumbled upon a solution – AirPods*! I’m sharing my thoughts here in the hope of helping others who experience the same problems I do.
Limitations I experience
When I’m working with a good pair of headphones on, I don’t really notice that I only have one working ear. It’s actually one of the reasons I consciously (or maybe unconsciously) chose to become an online ergonomist.
Social situations are the issue. A conversation with background music – however quiet – is always exhausting. Parties where I’m speaking with more than one person at once are basically impossible. Music with multiple instruments sounds completely different to me than it did during the 35 years I had two working ears: a kind of mush of sound. I often can’t even make out the language someone is singing in! It’s a real shame because I always loved meeting in cafés and going to concerts. And I’ve kept doing this (although a lot less).
The result of more than an hour in such a situation: extreme fatigue, nausea, and the next day something that closely resembles an alcohol hangover – even though I haven’t had a drink in years!
The problem seems to be that my working ear can’t filter and distinguish between different sound sources. Background noise and a conversation blend into one mush of sound for me.
Research into single-sided deafness
I’ve spoken to a number of the best ENT specialists in the Netherlands, but they were never really able to tell me why single-sided deaf people tolerate sound and music so poorly. They often attribute it to a psychological problem, because they can’t explain what’s happening physiologically.
With the help of AI, I dug back into the research on single-sided deafness (SSD). Fortunately, more research seems to have been done recently! A Korean study (albeit with only 30 participants) that I wasn’t previously aware of shows that single-sided deaf people understand speech considerably worse with background noise. Another (also Korean) study confirms this and also shows that when there’s noise, the brain hemispheres of SSD patients respond differently (asymmetrically) than in quiet.
Recent research confirms fatigue and concentration issues. The “hangover” I’m experiencing may be a nice follow-up study topic!
Surgery or a hearing aid – not an option
Surgery isn’t possible (a cochlea can’t – yet – be repaired). I don’t want a cochlear implant. I’ve visited many hearing aid shops and experts. I spent €800 on a kind of “pen microphone” connected to a hearing aid, which I would hand to whoever I was talking to. It barely helped.
Every hearing aid out there is aimed at hearing more. And my intuition has always been the opposite: I should actually be hearing less. During a conversation, background sounds (like quiet music) should be filtered out for me, with voices pushed to the foreground instead. “Sorry, that’s not an option” is unfortunately what I’ve always been told, until now.
The solution: AirPods
The solution came when Apple released the AirPods Pro 3 last year and my husband let me try them. Almost immediately, I thought: this is it.
AirPods Pro 3 don’t just have noise cancellation (I’ve used headphones with that feature for years) – they also have an adaptive audio mode that recognizes voices and adjusts the noise cancellation accordingly. When there’s a lot of background noise, noise cancellation is maximized. When there’s little background noise, there’s less noise cancellation. This feature is the key for me.
Now, whenever I go to a party, a bar, or dinner (even one-on-one at someone’s home), I put my AirPods in. The difference in quality of life is enormous. I can once again handle entire evenings in noisy environments, sleep fewer hours afterwards, and wake up without a headache. It’s honestly unbelievable!
Do you know someone with this problem?
Online I’ve found a few – but very few – people with single-sided deafness who made the same discovery. Maybe my situation is unique enough that it won’t help others, but I hope it will! The reason I wrote this article is to help as many other people as possible.
Do you know someone who is single-sided deaf? Please pass the link along. And I’m happy to answer questions!
Also for people who experience a lot of sensory input
I increasingly recommend these headphones – or a “regular”pair of noise-cancelling headphones – to people who find it difficult to cope with sensory overload at the office. They often benefit from it.
*⁾ This article is not sponsored by Apple, but if you’re reading this Apple: feel free to send over a free set whenever a new version of the AirPods Pro comes out 😀.