Has it ever happened that someone is speaking to you, but you keep saying ‘Huh? Their voice may not sound clear and might seem muffled or distorted instead. Is this a warning sign? A specialist weighed in on why this happens, a subtle hearing difficulty he frequently encounters among patients at his clinic, and what could be causing it.
Dr Animesh Banerjee, ENT at Even Healthcare, Bengaluru, revealed, “Every week, I see young patients who are convinced their hearing is fine. Their tone tests often agree. And yet they struggle to follow a conversation in a crowded café, mishear colleagues on calls, or feel their ears ringing after a long commute. What they share is a habit that feels harmless: earphones, turned up, for hours at a time. Dr Banerjee added what goes on in the inner ear : “That structure is the cochlea, lined with microscopic hair cells that convert sound into the electrical signals your brain understands. Sustained loud sound bends and shears these cells, starves them of blood flow, and floods them with chemical stress until they die. The cruelty of the inner ear is simple: these cells do not grow back. Once they are gone, they are gone for good.”
