Not only is hearing imparied. Also, the ability to tell where, which direction, a sound comes from is lost. In noisy situations where there is a lot of conversation, the sounds can blur together into a sort of audio mush. It can be very hard to focus on just one conversation and tune the others out. The following are some strategies to deal with certain situations.
Social situations Let people know when appropriate.
Tell them you cannnot hear on a certain side and tell them which one it is. Restaurants Call ahead to the restaurant to find out what the specials are in advance. Tell the waiter what you want for dressing on your salad. Sit at the corner of the table or both, with your hearing ear oriented in toward your companions. When the waiter comes, you may need to turn to hear him or her better, but you will have better luck hearing the whole conversation.