Child's kiss leaves mother deaf in one ear

NEW YORK, June 8 (UPI) -- A New York woman who partially lost her hearing after her daughter kissed her on her ear two years ago says she's getting some of her hearing back.

Gail Schwartzman of Hicksville said her daughter -- who was 4 at the time -- gave her an affectionate kiss on her left ear and the suction from the kiss managed to displace her eardrum and paralyze three bones in her ear, Newsday reported Sunday.

"She grabbed me and gave me a hug and a really big kiss on the left ear. And while she was doing it, it felt like she was sucking the air out of my head. I couldn't push her away because I had this terrible sensation in my head," Schwartzman said.

Schwartzman has regained some hearing in the ear but still suffers from tinnitus, which produces sounds that can plague individuals with hearing injuries, Newsday said.

Hofstra University hearing expert Levi Reiter, who is set to publish a report on Schwartzman's situation this summer, said the incident should serve as a warning to anyone with a penchant for extremely affectionate kissing.

"The moral here is very simple," Reiter told Newsday, "try not to hurt the one you love."