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BTS V ignored worsening hearing loss for years. Here are signs you shouldn’t
V says he has lived with significant hearing loss in one ear for over two years. Experts explain the causes, symptoms and treatment options
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BTS member Kim Taehyung, aka V, recently opened up about his hearing health, revealing that he has been living with significant hearing loss in one ear for more than two and a half years. During a live broadcast on August 12, the 30-year-old singer shared, “If the hearing in my left ear is at 100, it’s only about 30 in my right,” he said.
V also revealed that his hearing worsened during military service, but he initially brushed off the symptoms, assuming they were linked to physical fatigue. His experience highlights how easily one-sided or unilateral hearing changes can be dismissed as temporary — and why unilateral hearing loss warrants timely attention, regardless of age.
What is unilateral hearing loss?
“Single-sided or unilateral hearing loss refers to when hearing is significantly poorer in one ear. It can range from mild impairment to complete deafness, with single-sided deafness generally referring to severe-to-profound hearing loss in one ear while the other has normal or near-normal hearing,” says ENT specialist Dr. (Maj) Rajesh Bhardwaj at MedFirst ENT Centre.
The causes can range from relatively simple problems to conditions affecting the inner ear or hearing nerve. Some causes are treatable, like earwax buildup, infections and middle-ear fluid to a perforated eardrum or damage to the inner ear. Loud noise, head injuries, certain infections, autoimmune conditions, Ménière’s disease and some medicines can also affect hearing. A rarer cause is vestibular schwannoma, a usually benign tumour that can cause one-sided hearing loss, tinnitus or imbalance. That is why persistent or unexplained hearing differences should always be checked by an ENT specialist.
Early warning signs to watch for
- Muffled or distorted hearing in one ear, including during phone calls.
- Frequently asking people to speak from one particular side or turning your head to hear better.
- Ringing or buzzing in one ear.
- A feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear.
- Dizziness or balance problems.
- Difficulty understanding speech, particularly in noisy surroundings.
- Sudden hearing loss — even if it happens upon waking or develops within three days — is a medical emergency. Don’t assume it is wax, a cold or sinus congestion and wait it out.
- In children: Watch for delayed speech, frequently asking “what?”, not responding when called from one side, turning up the TV or struggling to follow conversations in noisy places.
How is it treated?
An ENT evaluation and hearing test (audiogram) can help identify whether the problem is a simple blockage or involves the inner ear or hearing nerve. Some patients may also need an MRI.
According to Dr. Meena Agrawal, Senior Consultant, ENT Surgeon at PSRI Hospital, treatment depends on what is causing the hearing loss and how quickly it is treated. For sudden sensorineural hearing loss, doctors may use steroids, either through an IV or as injections through the eardrum into the middle ear.
In some cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may also be considered if hearing does not improve. If significant hearing loss remains, options such as CROS hearing aids can send sound from the affected ear to the better-hearing ear. For selected patients with severe, permanent hearing loss, a cochlear implant may also be considered.
