I have some hearing loss but do not yet use hearing aids. A couple of days ago I experienced a sudden change in hearing. Only on the phone, people talking to me sound like they have inhaled helium. This happens with my landline and cell phone, with strangers and loved ones. Anybody else have such a specific problem? Does it go away?
I don’t think you can rule out a hardware failure. Any sudden change needs to be address by the audiologist.
Are you taking any new meds? Some years back I was taking a prescribed med and after a few months everybody’s voice started sounding like that to me. On the phone and in person. At the time I thought my hearing was getting worse in an unusual and scary way.
I started wondering if it could be the meds causing it and I discontinued taking them. In a couple weeks everyone sounded normal again.
Mike
A bit unusual that this is occurring on both the landline and cell phone. I would recommend getting your hearing tested/ears checked again ASAP to see if there has been any change as well as getting checked for wax etc. Also, have you tried the phones on both ears to see if it is consistent between the two sides or is it occurring on only one side?
Thanks for your response. I figured out that the problem was with my right ear, not the phones. I most always use my right ear, when on the phone. But when I covered up my left ear, hearing TV or people talking, they had that high pitch sound, like all the bass tones had dropped out. I think it may be a perforated ear drum, which isn’t so unusual and generally heals by itself in weeks. But I’m seeing my audiologist tomorrow morning.
I had inner ear surgery and after the surgery my own voice sounded like that and has never changed (but I have gotten used to it). The voices of others have not been effected, however.
A person can get used to a lot of things but I’m hoping my hearing will go back to normal over time. My audiologist said this could take 2 weeks to 2 months. Thanks for your response!