Exciting Announcement for World Hearing Day: Our New Book on Sudden Hearing Loss!

Sudden Hearing Loss booksudden hearing lossSelf-Care & Wellbeing

Mar 3

As an Early Years teacher, my sharp hearing had always been my superpower—able to catch every little sound in my classroom, even the cheekiest whispers from my students. But one day, everything changed. In an instant, I could no longer rely on my hearing.

I had no idea sudden hearing loss was even a thing, let alone an emergency. When I noticed I couldn’t hear from my left ear, I thought it would just go away. With a new school year starting, I was busy setting up my classroom and kept telling myself, "I'll feel better tomorrow." But tomorrow came, and the silence remained.

After 8 days, I finally saw a doctor. She told me my ears looked fine and sent me home with nasal spray and ibuprofen. There was no recognition of the urgency.

It wasn’t until 18 days later that I was seen by an ENT and diagnosed with profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss—too late for early intervention. The first 24–48 hours are critical for treatment, and the chances of recovery decrease significantly after two weeks. Though I was quickly started on treatment after diagnosis, by then, I had missed the critical treatment window.

Life After Sudden Hearing Loss

The sudden loss of my hearing turned my world upside down. Adjusting to life with single-sided deafness brought a range of physical and emotional challenges:

Loss of direction: I couldn’t tell where sounds were coming from.
Struggles in noisy environments: Conversations became tiring and hard to follow, particularly amidst background noise.
Music lost its depth: It no longer had the rich quality and stereo magic it once did.
Tinnitus and sound sensitivity: Ironically, my silence was replaced with a constant ringing in my deaf ear.
Balance issues: Crowded or visually busy spaces became overwhelming to navigate.

I found myself asking, “Why me?” and wondering what I could have done differently. Would I ever adjust?

Raising Awareness and Offering Support

Over the past 8 years, I’ve committed to raising awareness about sudden hearing loss and the critical importance of early treatment. Through numerous projects, my online support group, personal blog, coaching, and the Sudden Hearing Loss Support website, I’ve connected with countless individuals worldwide who share similar struggles.

And now, I’m excited to share some news!

A New Resource: Our Guide to Navigating Sudden Hearing Loss

On this World Hearing Day, I’m proud to announce that I’ve co-authored a book with audiologist Andrea Simonson and psychotherapist Caroline Norman. Caroline went through sudden hearing loss firsthand, while Andrea supported her husband through his diagnosis. Our journeys through sudden hearing loss were different, but they shared the practical and emotional rollercoaster of sudden hearing loss.

This book combines research-backed insights with personal stories from over 60 people globally, providing support, hope, and practical guidance.

Inside, we cover:

The search for answers and the frustration of misdiagnoses
The "what if" and "why me" questions that many of us ask
What to expect at medical appointments and the importance of timely treatment
Coping strategies for tinnitus and balance issues
Managing the emotional impact
Exploring options like hearing aids, cochlear implants, and adjusting to a new life

Our goal is to make this book a helpful resource for individuals and their families affected by sudden hearing loss. We also hope it reaches clinicians and healthcare providers, enabling them to quickly identify symptoms and deliver timely treatment that can improve patient outcomes.

I hope you’ll share in our excitement as we bring this book to life!