Could I have APD?

[ktgrok]

I just figured my hearing was bad...but could it be APD instead? Can that wax and wane, and sometimes be worse than others?

 

I noticed my hearing was a real issue when I realized that sometimes I have trouble understanding cartoons because I can't read their lips like I do with real actors. 

 

I also find myself sometimes saying, "look at me so I can hear you", meaning I need to see a person's mouth to understand them. 

It is worse with background noise. 

 

It is sometimes worse and sometimes better....possibly related to fluid in my eustachian tubes due to allergies/etc. 

 

I also have ALWAYS been told I speak too loudly. 

 

I HATE the sound of cabinets closing, and refuse to close them most of the time. (although now we have the kind that close softly)

 

There are days where by the end of the day I just need silence, because of the kids/dishwasher/washing machine/etc. I get easily overwhelmed by noisy places like the Science Center. 

 

Today at the Science Center I had no clue what the poor man at the food counter was asking me, and had to apologize a few times. Lots of background noise. 

 

Thoughts? Worth finding out?

[maize]

Have you had your hearing tested by an audiologist? I'd start there. They can test for APD as well.

[Southern Ivy]

I just figured my hearing was bad...but could it be APD instead? Can that wax and wane, and sometimes be worse than others?

 

I noticed my hearing was a real issue when I realized that sometimes I have trouble understanding cartoons because I can't read their lips like I do with real actors. 

 

I also find myself sometimes saying, "look at me so I can hear you", meaning I need to see a person's mouth to understand them. 

It is worse with background noise. 

 

It is sometimes worse and sometimes better....possibly related to fluid in my eustachian tubes due to allergies/etc. 

 

I also have ALWAYS been told I speak too loudly. 

 

I HATE the sound of cabinets closing, and refuse to close them most of the time. (although now we have the kind that close softly)

 

There are days where by the end of the day I just need silence, because of the kids/dishwasher/washing machine/etc. I get easily overwhelmed by noisy places like the Science Center. 

 

Today at the Science Center I had no clue what the poor man at the food counter was asking me, and had to apologize a few times. Lots of background noise. 

 

Thoughts? Worth finding out?

 

Definitely worth checking out. You'd want to have your regular hearing checked first, obviously, but if that comes back normal, then yeah - I would check into APD. 

And, yes, just like with other things, you can have good days and bad days. Some of the moms I was talking to said that their kids would have great "hearing" days and not-so-great days. 

 

I've often thought I was hard of hearing, but I've considered being tested as well now that I'm considering it for my daughter. 

My hearing in noisy environments is almost non-existent; if there is extra noise, I am more likely to get stressed and a bit hostile; also, when I'm PMS-ing, God help the loud person, the chewing person, the person crinkling the bag....I will find you and I will hurt you. haha 

But, yeah, all the things you've mentioned - been there. 

 

Read the book When the Brain Can't Hear. This is essentially the APD Bible. The audiologist who wrote it was well versed in testing for APD, but then due to an accident, developed it herself, so she knows it quite intimately. 

 

This group and this group are great for questions (if you're on FB). 

 

Have you had your hearing tested by an audiologist? I'd start there. They can test for APD as well.

But, not all can - so make sure you find someone who is experienced in testing for APD. 

Edited November 10, 2017 by Southern Ivy

[ktgrok]

Ok, so if I just get a regular hearing test, and that comes out normal, then I can probably assume it is APD, I guess? And go from there. That might be easiest. 

[PeterPan]

Around here, the super cheap, crazy good option is to go to the university because they have the correct booth and will do a full audiology exam *and* the APD screening (the SCAN) for just $35. No, you can't assume it's APD if a regular audiologist clears you. You have a kid with spectrum. You could be borderline for APD or have sensory processing issues. SPD and APD aren't technically the same. There are more explanations.

 

Around here, the university is sorta world class for APD, so it's the logical place to go. It takes a special booth. APD is something that is a specialty for some audiologists and off the radar of others. So my personal take is it's better to do that initial, basic audiology eval with someone who knows about APD and gives a rip about it. That way you can have that discussion about whether something further is even warranted. They'll usually have an opinion, just from hanging with you and talking things through with you. 

 

So find the audiologist you'd want to do the full eval and that's your person to do the basic eval. 

 

You could also have basic hearing loss, nerve damage, SPD, yeah there are more explanations. But if it's coming up that much and you can make the eval happen, sure it would be interesting.

[PeterPan]

Fwiw, I took my ds to the university and had him checked before his psych eval. I wanted to make sure his funky odd symptoms (phonological processing problems, speech, not responding, etc.) didn't have an audiology component. And I took him to that university precisely because I wanted to have some screening, even though he was too young for the full eval. So we've btdt, definitely thought the univ was good for that. Sometimes university evals for things are really iffy, but for audiology, at least around here, they've been AWESOME. 

[ktgrok]

Yeah, our university does testing too, but it's hundreds of dollars, not $35. Basically they do a full evaluation no matter what the issue, they won't test JUST for that. So it's a good deal for a full language work up including speech, hearing, language, written and oral expression, etc. But not if you want just one part of it. 

[geodob]

You wrote: 'It is sometimes worse and sometimes better....possibly related to fluid in my eustachian tubes due to allergies/etc.'

This needs to be looked into further, as this could be the main issue?

Fluid in the inner ear will significantly impact hearing, as the fluid prevents the inner ear from vibrating in response to sounds.

This would explain why it comes and goes.

 

Perhaps you could keep a diary, and note whether it comes and goes with the allergies?  

Something that could be helpful, is 'chewing gum'?

The Eustachian Tube drains fluid from the inner ear to the back of the throat.

Though the at bottom end of the Tube, is a muscle that keeps the Tube closed. To prevent bacteria travelling from the back of throat, up into the inner ear.

When we swallow, this automatically causes the Tube to open and allow the fluid to drain out.

Which is why chewing gum can be helpful.

Edited November 10, 2017 by geodob

[Southern Ivy]

Ok, so if I just get a regular hearing test, and that comes out normal, then I can probably assume it is APD, I guess? And go from there. That might be easiest. 

Sorry. I get up at 3am, so I go to bed early. ;)

 

I agree with Elizabeth. I wouldn't automatically assume it's APD. It could be retained fluid or SPD or a wide variety of things. 

 

How long have you noticed this going on? When do you notice that your hearing is worse?

You say you can't hear people, but do you ever mishear their words or does it take you a long time to process what they are saying? 

 

 

Just adding again - When the Brain Can't Hear is going to really help you identify if APD is a possible issue or not. It gives a lot of examples and with a selection of ages. She talks about the issues she had that she didn't automatically connect to APD, what it looks like in adults who have learned coping techniques over the years, etc. 

Definitely worth checking out while you wait on a hearing test. 

[ktgrok]

The Best description I can think of is that I have to use context in order to understand what people are saying. So they speak, I might have an idea of what they said, and then I have to filter that through what would actually make sense. I like to think this has made me good at foreign languages, because I am very used to having to use context to figure out what is being said. Interestingly, because of this ability I also was one of the only people at the office I worked at that could understand one of our clients who had had a stroke and spoke very haltingly. Again, I could not understand her word by word, but after listening to a sentence could figure out what she had said.

Edited November 10, 2017 by ktgrok

[PeterPan]

Just gotta start somewhere. Won't know till you try. :)

[exercise_guru]

Just gotta start somewhere. Won't know till you try. :)

As people age they do have declined peripheral hearing degregation. This manifests itself with similar tendencies and symptoms related to CAPD

There is a great website called brainhq.com. look in their auditory section and commit to practicing some games. It should give you a good idea where any weaknesses are if any. The program  is used by many adults to stimulate and fine tune the deggregation in their auditory pathways.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by exercise_guru

[MerryAtHope]

Could be. Here's what it's like for me: Forgetting Plates and Auditory Processing.

[ktgrok]

Could be. Here's what it's like for me: Forgetting Plates and Auditory Processing.

 

OMG< YES!!!!!!  

 

Now if it is ADP or just hearing loss from lots of ear infections as a kid plus working in loud dog kennels and a few too many concerts, not to mention colicky kids screaming in my ear, I don't know. But YES!!!! All the sounds strung together like that, and I have to figure out where the words break apart!

[scbusf]

I think I probably have this. I hate talking on the phone because I can't SEE the person I'm talking to. If I ever answer the phone while I'm still in bed, I'm one of those people that has to put my glasses on before I answer the phone.

 

Repetitive noises make my brain hurt. I always say I have supersonic hearing - I can hear things no one else can.

[xixstar]

Thanks for posting, I need to look into this. I constantly think that my hearing is going but then I stress over hearing more than I want to.

 

I have always said that loud things or environments short circuits my brain and I can't make sense of other people's words most of the time. It also makes me extremely irritated - social situations with lots of talking might as well be the peanuts teacher scene.

 

Phone calls are almost impossible, I feel like I miss half of the words and just do a lot of agreeing while not admitting I can't really hear the person, no matter the volume on my phone.

 

My children are probably extremely tired of me repeating "you must look at me when you talk" because I can't hear them otherwise -- and what's with kids constantly turning away as soon as their mouth starts moving?

 

And as soon as I have heard something wrong, it has to be repeated very clearly and slowly for me to finally make the correction and even then I feel like my brain keeps trying to default back to the incorrect thing.

 

Keep meaning to make the hearing test appointment but maybe I should check for someone knowledgeable in ADP too.