Coming to terms with hearing loss, regardless of the cause

A few weeks ago, my husband, John, and I were at a friend’s house for dinner. It was a delightful evening of dining al fresco, delicious food, and friends in a beautiful environment. There was only one problem: I couldn’t hear the conversation! Ack!

I’ve known for years that I had hearing issues, but that night really marked a turning point. After asking my friends to repeat themselves several times, trying to read lips (a skill I’m sure would come in handy), I plastered a smile on my face and faked it — laughing at jokes I didn’t hear the punch line to and hoping for the evening to end.

I’ve always assumed that my hearing problems were the result of a couple of car accidents, but the more I read about hearing loss, the more I’m convinced that it could have been an early nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease.

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Jan. 17, 2025 News by Andrea Lobo

Hearing loss may be early warning sign for Parkinson’s disease: Study

I was about 40 years old when I had the first car accident while on my way to a quilting workshop. Of course, I left a bit late, so I was driving the speed limit that wintry evening in our old blue Taurus.

Anyway, there I was driving along the road into town, and a deer leapt out in front of my car. I started braking furiously, and, phew, I missed it! But then, not a second later, another deer jumped out and pretty much landed on my hood. The airbag went off with a bang and I blacked out. When I came to, I was stopped on the opposite side of the road, with a dead deer in my headlights. Sorry, fella.

Several weeks later, I realized I couldn’t hear very well.

The audiologist told me, “You’re too young to have hearing loss.” I agreed! I felt I was way too young for hearing aids, too, so I soldiered on.

There are solutions

Years later, after my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2015, I was on my way to a physiotherapy appointment. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned the bridge that we use to get on and off our farm property. It’s an old-fashioned, one-lane, very steep railroad bridge, where you can’t see if anybody else is driving toward you for about 10 seconds. There are only two families on our side of the bridge, so it is usually no problem getting over. The winter can make it more treacherous, but it hardly ever was an issue.

Then, on a snowy afternoon, I was confidently driving over the bridge when, out of the blue, wham! A stranger out for a joy ride in a big Jeep totaled my car and gave me a case of whiplash. Thanks, buddy! I wouldn’t be going to physiotherapy that afternoon.

About a month later, I realized that my hearing was even worse than normal. I mentioned this to my physiotherapist, who said it was because of my whiplash. The acceleration-deceleration forces of the car crash had probably damaged the sensitive inner ear structures.

Great, in addition to Parkinson’s disease, now I was dealing with hearing loss as well. I got hearing aids, but then the pandemic hit, and I hardly wore them. I really struggled and never felt comfortable while wearing them. Hearing aids don’t last forever, and over the past few months I needed to decide if I wanted to keep struggling with hearing, or if I’d get new hearing aids and put in the effort to get comfortable with them.

After some research, I realized I can’t keep missing conversations, discussions, and funny stories.

The bottom line: Our hearing is super important! Don’t wait to get hearing aids if you need them.

I’ll probably never know why I have hearing loss. Is it because of the car accidents or Parkinson’s? What I do know is that a solution is available, and I’m going to take it.

Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.