An odd relationship between hearing sounds vs. voices

I wondered if someone more knowledgeable could help me to understand why, with my incredibly sensitive hearing, I struggle to hear and interpret words and voices.

My hearing is, probably like many here, exceptionally sensitive. I can hear things that most people around me cannot. What other people seemingly allow to happen around them will often make me uncomfortable (tremendous volume to me). And yet, I often struggle to hear what someone has said to me, or near by to me. I am constantly turning the tv volume down to get away from loud music/ sound effects, but having to turn it up during dialogue. I now have the subtitles on constantly. 

Does anybody else experience this? Does anybody have any information or ideas on the matter. I’m wondering if it is to do with interpreting, processing and understanding spoken information, rather than simply recognising that a sound has occurred and trying to identify its source.

Parents
  • It may be auditory processing disorder (APD) The hearing test using beeps is usually normal but speech recognition is poor, like you said it is to do with how the brain interprets sound rather than a deficit in “collecting” it so to speak. In my case I have perfect low frequency and very high frequency hearing but everything in between is mild to moderately impaired on a hearing test due to ear infections and some damage at a ridiculously loud concert. 

Reply
  • It may be auditory processing disorder (APD) The hearing test using beeps is usually normal but speech recognition is poor, like you said it is to do with how the brain interprets sound rather than a deficit in “collecting” it so to speak. In my case I have perfect low frequency and very high frequency hearing but everything in between is mild to moderately impaired on a hearing test due to ear infections and some damage at a ridiculously loud concert. 

Children
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