XIAMEN, CHINA — In what can only be described as a gift and a curse, a Chinese woman from Xiamen recently woke up one morning unable to hear men's voices. <br />According to Next Shark, the woman identified as Chen by Chinese website QQ went to bed the night before feeling nauseated with ringing in her ears. <br />When she woke up the next day, she was unable to hear her boyfriend speaking to her. <br /><br />Chen then got herself to Qianpu hospital, where and ENT doctor diagnosed her with a condition known as reverse-slope hearing loss, or RSHL, where patients can only hear high-frequency sounds. <br />According to Audiology, Inc., RSHL reportedly affects about 1 in 12,000 people. Only about 3,000 people in the U.S. and Canada have the condition, also known as low-frequency hearing loss. <br />RSHL is usually passed down from your parents, but can be caused by certain illnesses, viral infections or sudden hearing loss. <br />Changes in pressure to inner ear fluid, stress, injury and circulation problems can also contribute to RSHL. <br /><br />Patients who suffer from RSHL are unable to pick up low-frequency sounds like thunder, refrigerator humming and in this case—a boyfriend. <br />Doctors expect Chen to make a full recovery as long as she reduces her stress and gets enough shuteye.
