Can you keep focus in large group settings?

[Conneryfan]

Hi all. I have ET Jak2 positive. I take hydroxycarbamide, blood thinners and statins. I really struggle to focus in a large group setting e.g. a party or meeting. People talk to me and I feel as though they go out of focus. I can nod, show appropriate reactions etc but communication on my end is limited. When lots of people are talking at the same time it is even worse as it just feels like people are speaking utter garbage! I love socialising and am wondering if anyone has similar experience and can perhaps give me some tips. It does make me a really good listener on a one to one basis which is a positive! Thank you in advance

[hunter5582]

Yes I do have that issue too, but it has nothing to do with the MPN. I have measured low-grade hearing loss. Not bad enough to require hearing aids yet, but bad enough to cause a problem. Specifically, distinguishing foreground from background sound. This makes listening to one voice in a cacophony of background noise quite challenging. This is a common manifestation of low-grade hearing loss.

On a lighter note, my specific form of hearing loss is in a specific tone group - the tone of a car turn signal clicking or the tone of a typical female voice. My audiologist, who is female, thinks this is hilarious. As it turns out, I have an excuse! It was not selective hearing. I really did not hear you! Sorry about that.

Not sure what the issue is for you. Suggest seeking an assessment with an audiologist to at least rule out a hearing issue. Hope you get the issue sorted.

[Conneryfan in reply to hunter5582]

Thank you. I think my husband might have your hearing issue!! I had a hearing test quite recently and I have no problems. Ironically after I had covid the second time last year my hearing and voice were very hit and miss.

[tifftriesit]

yes, I have this issue. I had to retire after 20 years of teaching because of it and the brain fog. I also tried to play Mahjong with neighbors and just couldn’t do it. I tried three times. It’s so frustrating to me. This mixed with the fatigue, and I find that I now live a pretty unsocial life. I used to be very social and always went and hosted things. 😢

[Conneryfan in reply to tifftriesit]

so sorry to hear this. I am a sociable animal too and find it difficult with energy as well as brain fog. Understanding friends are a great help.

[ksos]

I have ET and have the same thing. Parties etc generate more input and stimulus than my foggy brain can manage. A few things that I've found help: resting for an hour or two before the event, drinking some coffee right before I leave and sometimes during (helps with focus and stamina) and doing my best to pull people away from the big crowds into small groups of 1-3, which I can handle. If things become overwhelming, I go into another room that's quieter -- the bathroom always works as last resort. I also plan to be tired the next day. I'm not very social anyway, but when things come along that I want to attend - usually family, at this point -- these things have helped enough to get me through. Good luck!

[Conneryfan in reply to ksos]

Thank you for your good advice. 😀

[EPguy]

If your basic hearing is good, one condition to rule out next is "auditory neuropathy"

"People with auditory neuropathy have greater impairment in speech perception than hearing health experts would predict based upon their degree of hearing loss on a hearing test."

nidcd.nih.gov/health/audito...

Also are your both ears equally good? My business partner is weak in one ear and has the conversation problem you describe since there is no direction of the sound source.

Otherwise, it seems this could be real MPN effect we should be aware of considering the responses here.

[Conneryfan in reply to EPguy]

Thank you for your reply. Both ears are fine when I had the regular hearing test. I can hear people okay I just feel fuzzy headed, foggy brained and then slurry of speech! My friends say I speak in cursive which at least makes me smile 😁

[EPguy in reply to Conneryfan]

I think auditory neuropathy has both ears the same. But yours does seem something different esp with an added issue of slurred speech. Is your Dr concerned about that part?

[Conneryfan in reply to EPguy]

The problem is that both GP and specialist kind of pass it to the other to sort. I think it is the problem with ET and the many different ways it can present. Personally I think the slurred speech is down to extreme fatigue as it usually happens when I am at the end (or beyond) my available energy!