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.