I became unable to understand conversations in noisy bars and restaurants. I had my hearing tested, and it was normal. I can hear one person talking quietly from across the house, but can't understand a person right next to me in a bar. It's very frustrating.
A while back I was treated with cisplatin as part of chemotherapy. One of the side effects is ototoxicity. I acquired tinnitus that ranges from unnoticeable to distracting but not severe (I've noticed that green tea is a very reliable trigger for the rest of the day). I self-tested my hearing after chemo and found that I'd lost 15KHz and higher. I knew about the side effects before starting treatment, so I'd already run the same test. Pre-treatment, I could easily hear up to 17.5KHz.
I've adjusted to the hearing changes for the most part, but the most insidious new problem is acute sensitivity to nearby conversations when I'm talking to someone else. The best way to describe it is that I've lost the dynamic range of amplitudes. Rather than being able to focus on one conversation and hear it as louder than the rest, I feel that all of them seem to be at the same volume. The worst is when I'm out walking with another person to have a conversation, and we come upon another walking/talking pair. I need to let the other people go ahead until they're out of earshot.
No complaints overall. I'd have died without the chemo, so it was a favorable trade.
Like the others who have replied here, I've found that I have the same issue. I started noticing at maybe around 35 (I'm 38 now), and I know it was something new, as I spend a lot of time in social settings.
I assumed I was losing my hearing, which would make sense as I was a DJ in my later teens and spent a lot of time with large speakers and no ear protection. I went to get tested this past summer and I passed - my hearing is basically "normal for my age". They didn't have much else to offer, unfortunately.
What I've noticed in loud settings, like bars or busy restaurants, is that I can hear the music and everyone's voice at once, but I can't seem to pick out the voices directly in front of me.
It can definitely be a bit embarrassing as I'm constantly asking people to repeat themselves if it's a serious conversation, and if it's not, I try for a while until I lose the thread and then zone out and ask my wife about it later.
Same for me. I have had my hearing tested several times and always had pretty good scores. But I still don't understand people in loud environments. It would be interesting to try a hearing aid.
I have the same problem and also was tested with "normal for age" hearing. But I know that most people can hear conversations in busy restaurants, loud cars, etc.
