How to Cope with a Sudden Change in Health

The other day I woke up and couldn’t hear out of my right ear.

Out of the blue, and without warning, my perception had changed.

It felt a bit like being underwater— everything muffled and distorted.

It was disorienting and frustrating.

I was having trouble telling where sounds were coming from, and I couldn’t hear what other people were saying. My left ear felt like there was a megaphone stuck in it— every sound felt 10 times louder than normal. Everything felt harsh and imbalanced and it felt like my brain was struggling hard to keep up.

Suddenly small things felt difficult— walking near a busy street with traffic, being in the grocery store or at a noisy restaurant, logging on to a video call for work.

“What?”

“Can you say that again?”

It felt like I was asking over and over and over.

I went to urgent care and was told by a very kind doctor that I was suffering from “eustachian tube dysfunction.” He said this is a common scenario that usually presents itself after having cold or a sinus infection, flying on on airplane, changing elevation or going scuba diving.

“Have you done any of those things lately?” he asked.

“No,” I said.

Both of us shook our heads.

“Well, I hate to tell you this, but it’s probably going to drive you a little crazy dealing with this,” he said.

I had come in hoping that there was some wax buildup in my ear that could be flushed right away. Simple solution. Problem solved. Now the doctor was telling me that I could be experiencing this for up to 2 weeks, and that there wasn’t a whole lot to do about it, other than try allergy meds.

A few days later, I cried at breakfast because the noise was so overwhelming.

I started wearing my noise canceling headphones around the house to help balance the sound between my ears, eager for any small amount of relief.

I’d wake up every morning hopeful that something had changed, but… it hadn’t.

There were moments where all I wanted to do was give up.

But I didn’t.

I took steps toward self care.

A 90-minute Reiki energy work session. Getting outside to run. Ear drops, saline spray, allergy meds. Essential oils on my feet.

Chiropractic and acupuncture seemed to help the most.

And I’m seeing an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist soon, in hopes to find out more information.

Slowly my hearing has improved and here I am, a week and a half later, feeling much better. My right ear still feels muffled but has improved significantly. I finally feel like myself again. Better mood, good energy levels, mostly back to normal life.

I’ve never felt more grateful for my ability to hear.

And what else have I learned in this process? This strange week of being half-deaf?

A lot, as it turns out.

So I’m writing down the lessons now.

For you, in case you’re experiencing a sudden change in your health.

And for me, so I can refer back to this again some day.

May the ideas here help bring you peace.

Ways to Cope When You’ve Suddenly Experienced a Change In Your Health, An Injury, or Ongoing Pain

Slow down and listen

Our bodies hold a ton of wisdom. Whatever is going on with your body right now, it’s for a reason. There are beautiful lessons yet to be shown, there is growth, and there is strength to be gained. I know, it’s difficult. It’s challenging. Sometimes our natural reaction is to want to give up or ignore what’s going on, but now is the time to face the situation head on. Now is the time to listen and reflect.

What is your body trying to tell you right now?

It’s OK not to know the answer.

It’s important to pay attention, to slow down, to continue asking.

And to listen when the answers do come.

Do one thing at a time

Most days I’m moving quickly between tasks and getting a lot done. Whenever a change in health comes along, it forces me to slow down. To do one thing at a time. With my hearing gone from one ear, this was the only way I could function.

My practice became doing one thing at a time— and giving myself permission to do less.

Prioritize rest

Cancel what’s on your schedule. Say no to making new plans. Re-prioritize. Your health is the most important thing, and rest is a huge part of it right now.

Sleep more. Nourish yourself. Take breaks.

Rest without guilt.

Prioritize what feels good

Rest is important, and movement is too. During the last week I had moments where I thought about giving up on my current marathon training, but I realized that getting outside and going for a run was actually helping more than anything else, so I kept with it.

Other things that felt good: journaling, sitting quietly, watching inspiring documentaries (with the volume low), and sleeping a lot.

Ask for help and talk about your situation with someone who cares

I could not have made it through dealing with my hearing loss without the love and support of my partner, my friends and my family. Sharing openly about the situation and asking for help has made all the difference. Don’t hide or try to “hold it all together” or put on a happy face.

You’re struggling right now and if you want to heal and move forward, you have to be honest about that.

Ask for others to hold space for you and on days that they can’t, reach out to another person in your circle who has the energy to help.

Remember, too: you are not a burden.

Remember, you are adaptive and resilient

You are. It may not feel like it all the time (and especially right now), but believing this will help you in your healing process.

Remember, there are things you can do

There may be moments where you feel completely stuck and helpless. A doctor or someone you know might even say that to you, that there’s nothing you can do. But the truth is, there are plenty of things. There are always opportunities for self-care. There are small ways to feel good each day. There are productive thoughts you can focus on. You have to take ownership for your situation, and for the power you have to choose. This is what helps you move forward.

Let yourself off the hook

The situation is what it is. Now is the time to give yourself some grace.

Let yourself off the hook for the things you’re not going to do. For feeling like you’re showing up not as your best. For complaining. For breaking down. For crying in public. For being angry. For feeling any certain way you’re feeling.

Give yourself permission to be as you are, without expectations for how it should be.

Things aren’t perfect

And they don’t have to be.

You aren’t perfect, and you don’t have to be.

Learn from this

This time, though it’s challenging, is a gift. It’s teaching you new ways of being. It’s teaching you strength and compassion. What are you learning right now?

Trust yourself and your intuition

It’s important to seek medical attention when something serious is going on. It’s also important to trust yourself and your intuition. Your spiritual guidance and inner guidance.

Listen to yourself. Ask for opinions and help but remember to trust your gut.

Every time I experience a health situation, it also relates to my spiritual growth or has the potential to offer me spiritual growth.

Changes in health are opportunities to show up even more fiercely and lovingly for ourselves, to be kind, to give to ourselves. To be with ourselves in a very potent and powerful way.

You deserve your own trust, and now is the time to practice it.

Find meaning in small moments

Pain has a way of helping us appreciate the little things. Because really, they are the big things. :) When small moments of appreciation come your way, savor them. You’re allowed to feel good, even in the midst of all this.

Do things to comfort yourself

In what ways can you nourish yourself right now? Maybe it’s a soft blanket, a scented candle that reminds you of a special memory, reading a familiar book that you love, or something else that’s totally unique to you. This is the perfect time to do those things that feel really good and very comforting.

Surrender

This is the biggest and most important step of all. I put it at the end of this list because I also find it to be the hardest. Surrendering control, surrendering the need to know, surrendering the desire to have answers… this is perhaps the hardest part for me when things change unexpectedly. Surrendering to the moment is a huge lesson.

Remember that this too shall pass.

Right now, you’re allowed to be as you are.

Without doing anything or changing anything.

You can let go.

This is where the healing happens, when you can finally let go.

What else has helped you when you’re going through a health crisis, painful situation, or loss? What practices do you return to? I’d love to hear. :)