Being an active member of the Brass Ear Trumpet Brigade.....hearing loss is no fun.
Too many hours in the cab of a Wokka with antiquated hearing protection (or none at all) doomed me early on...and now I pay the penalty.
The real problem with a loss of High Frequency hearing is the increasing problem with differeniation....all consenants sound the same...b,c,d, t, v, z's....all blend together and if they come from cute wee kiddies or attractive young women (higher pitched voices)....they really blend together.
Throw in the clatter of beer mugs on granite....tinkling of silverware.....some background music...and the chatter of the throng....and it is lip reading time.
Throw in a good dose of Tinnitus....and forget ever having some Peace and Quiet....wonder why some old Men get cranky?
If you get to where you need "special" tests to keep your medical....you should be looking more towards finding a "Special Ed" Teacher to marry rather than struggling to keep your medical.
A note for those who think cranking the volume knob up is a cure....at some point you max out on the headset volume and the audio control box volume....and you still cannot understand what is being said. If you are using more volume.....you have a hearing problem that has nothing to do with sheer volume....but rather a differeniation problem....and volume shall not cure that.
Take care of your hearing....but know when to make the decision re which is more important....retaining your ability to hear or earning a paycheck by flying for a living.