It might sound like a skit from Sesame Street, but cookie bite hearing loss is a real condition that affects many people.

What is cookie bite hearing loss?

A person with cookie bite hearing loss is unable to hear mid-frequency sounds while still being able to hear high and low frequency sounds. With this condition, a person might be able to hear something like a door slamming, but have a hard time following a conversation.

What does it have to do with cookies?

The name refers to how the audiogram curve looks like a cookie someone has taken a bite of. This kind of sensorineural hearing loss is also called pool hearing loss, soup plate hearing loss. and U-shaped hearing loss.

For the majority of people with cookie bite hearing loss, the reason is genetic rather than from aging, being exposed to loud noises, or illnesses and injuries. Although a person is born with this predisposition, they may not notice a problem for many years. The symptoms are often slow to appear, with the more serious problems occurring after a person reaches 30 years of age. Often people are not even aware of the problem until they are between 30 and 40. Fortunately, this hearing loss pattern is relatively rare compared to other forms of hearing loss.

Can cookie bite hearing loss be cured?

Because this is a type of sensorineural hearing loss, cookie bite hearing loss can’t be cured. Hearing aids will not be able to restore normal hearing, but they will help manage the condition. For this type of condition,  a hearing aid that focuses on amplifying mid-frequency range sounds is needed.

Cookie bite hearing loss can get worse over time, so the sooner you start using a hearing aid, the better. It will take a little while to get used to, but proper use of hearing aids will lead someone with cookie bite hearing loss to a better quality of life in the long run.

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