Am I going deaf??

[MrJohnsonAteMyCustard]

A few days ago I was with a couple of friends when a particular piece of equipment started beeping in the room we were occupying. Well, I was told it was beeping but I couldn't hear it The beeping continued intermittently for a few minutes but it was the same each time: I only heard the sound of silence....

Even when I thrust my ear right up to the the source - nowt

This concerned me so I paid a visit to an optician who did a very brief hearing test to establish if a further test is required and yes, it seems I did miss a few of the sounds in the test. I barely heard a lot of them but could just make them out; they seemed to be very high pitched.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm asking here. Perhaps, can anyone tell me if this has happened to them and if this is the beginning of the end??? Will it get worse?? Where do I purchase an ear trumpet??

Thank you

Well your first mistake was visiting the opticians to get your ears checked .

See your GP - you may get a referral to ENT and they'll investigate. It could be as straightforward as an ear infection/blockage (not a medic) so don't panic. Also ear trumpets are very fetching and will be a useful accessory to any outfit.

Oh, and yes, I am going to see my GP about booking a proper hearing test

Thank you, Hassled - I knew something was amiss But they had a clever ipad thingy with headphones and I couldn't resist.

I've made an appointment with the GP. And have stopped listening to my music QUITE so loudly....

I've probably brought it on myself if am going deaf. Sigh.

Strange one but do you have sleep apnoea at all? I have recently seen my GP about my own slight deafness and he thinks it's because I have sleep apnoea (and also a bad habit of unconsciously holding my breath) so the bit that links my ear drum to the back of my throat gets full of fluid and doesn't drain, causing me to miss things.

The remedy he gave me was to steam over a hot bowl of water and to force my ears to pop periodically by holding my nose and blowing down it. Sounds odd but it does make a difference.

Ooh, AndNone - that sounds interesting. Not sure I have sleep apnoea but certainly insomnia and I frequently wake up during the night (when I finally DO sleep). I also have to clear my throat a lot and have done for ages; it's almost like a constant drip (sorry if TMI). And my nose runs a lot.....

Bit of a physical wreck, really.

Now you mention it, I have sometimes have the experience of my ears suddenly 'popping' spontaneously and everything seeming to be clearer, hearing wise, just after. Interesting.....

Some years ago i was in GP's room discussing whether I needed a referral to audiology when my very new mobile (which I barely knew how to use) rang. It was ages before I heard it and even then I was sure it was a faraway noise, like in another room. I got my referral.

High frequency hearing loss is very common btw.