Sally
Yes I know exactly what you mean. My hearing has been like this for the last 15 years (I am 48) but I was only diagnosed with RA 2 years ago. I first noticed that when I was in a crowded or noisy room I had difficulty hearing a conversation. I could pick up some words and not others. This continued and then I had trouble hearing the television as well. It became so frustrating that I went to my doctors and he referred me to the Hospital. They did a hearing test and it was proved that I could hear certain sounds really well but others were more difficult. If you said fish and chips to me with background noise, because they are soft sounds, I could not hear so well. If you said words with more pronouced sounding then I could hear. They said they could do nothing about it, as if they gave me a hearing aid, then the sounds I could hear would be too loud.
I put this down to getting older. Then about five years ago when I spoke to both my Mother and Sister they started complaining about exactly the same. My Sister is 41 and she started suffering around the same age as I did. My Mother's hearing has only recently gone and she is 67. Neither my Mother or Sister have RA so I presumed it was heridatary but I had been unlucky that mine had occurred earlier.
All I know is it can be very annoying having to ask people to repeat what they say. My family know but still start talking to me from a different room and I have no chance of hearing what they say. I have also been told that I speak very quietly so I cannot hear them and they cannot hear me
. I now have to make sure that I have conversations in rooms with low back ground noise and always facing people. I also use earphones to listen to the television.
I can only suggest that you go for a hearing test (Specsavers and other opticians do them) or speak to your GP just to make sure that there is nothing they can do for you.
Take care
Jackie
xx
