Three doctor visits and a CAT scan later, I learned that my hearing loss was due to a problem in my middle ear. But nothing could be done, at least, the doctors said, without the risk of making matters worse. Worse? The best thing to do, I was told, was to be fitted for a hearing aid and hope that the matter cleared up on its own.

Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence-…, loc. 45