Hey. I suffer from poor hearing and tinnitus. I've lived with it for as long as I can remember but it's only started to annoy me now in my early 20s.

On a day to day basis, I never think about it until I'm suddenly in a busy place like a crowded bar, a nightclub or near live music and I have a really hard time hearing people around me.

I end up losing concentration around inaudible group conversations and can't contribute. It's an absolute nightmare trying to speak to girls, especially in nightclubs where the music is almost deafening. Repeating "what?" and leaning in every time she says something isn't exactly attractive.

Sometimes I try telling people about my difficulty but 99% of the time they lose interest in me rather than trying to be accommodating, and I completely understand why. So now I tend to just stay silent.

In quieter settings I'm quite a talkative and social person, so it really bums me out to be in this situation.

Does anyone share the same experiences or have any advice on how to deal with it? I've never looked into surgery or hearing aids...