Sudden Hearing loss _{Page 48 of 105}

As mentioned in my prior post, I had 100% hearing loss in my left ear along with severe spinning vertigo and nausea and vomiting occur on 3/18/07. It has now been 2 ½ months since this happened. I had an audiogram today and speech recognition is now up to 44%. It was 8% a month ago. Hearing is now in the 30 db to 70 db range. It was 50 db to 70 db a month ago. I’m really surprised since I thought I didn’t have much improvement. I saw my audiogram and it looks like a ski slope. I’m still not hearing aid material. Maybe, with any luck, I will improve more by next audiogram, which is scheduled in six weeks.

hi suburban mom..
question for you....do you get cold sores? i have thought of this as a cause for SHL before, but i dont have cold sores.
and being the mum of triplets--im sure you have loud noise exposure on a daily basis. i work with kids that have autism, and im sure the noise is a contributor to the constant ringing i have.

You don't have to get cold sores to have herpes-1. About 60% to 80% of the entire population over age three has it, but it lies dormant in the most people. Only 20% of people with herpes-1 actually get cold sores or mouth ulcers. It can activate in people who don't have symptoms, though, and cause problems. Just like if you have ever had chickenpox it can activate later in life and cause shingles. I don't get cold sores on my lips, but I occasionally get a mouth ulcer. There is an antibody test you can have done to find out if you have herpes-1.

I asked the ear doctor about the similarities between sudden hearing loss and asked about herpes-1 being a possible cause. He said in Bell';s Palsy that antiviral treatment (acyclovir/valtrex)was proven beneficial, but it hasn't been proven to be beneficial in sudden hearing loss. Well, from what I have read online some studies indicate that it has been beneficial. It just doesn't make any sense to me that doctors would continue to prescribe antivirals to us if it has been proven to be of absolutely no benefit, so they must still be unsure.

Yes, definitely high noise level with triplets. It was really terrible when this first happened, but now it doesn't bother me as much since recruitment and tinnitus have improved. I think my son has autism and he is quite loud at times, so I can imagine the noise level working with several autistic children must be over the top.

It is really horrible to have this happen and not even know what caused it. I guess if anyone asks the cause I should just answer, 'bad luck.'

suburban mom, yes it is just bad luck. As you know there are numerous theories but at the end of the day ENTs will agreethat they don't know. Have you been investigated for Menieres disease? SSHL is not usually associated with spinning vertigo or nausea but Menieres is. Its great that the recruitment has improved, I had a lot of this and dreadful distortions etc. It is still early days for you so I am sure you can look forward to feeling more 'normal' over the next two or three months even if you don't get any more hearing back. Don't be told that you can't use a hearing aid - try one. I was told this too but now have one from the NHS and it is great. Most ENTs/ Audiologists like you to wait 4-5 months from onset though to make sure the hearing level has settled. Good luck- a friend of my had triplets who are now in their teens and I have an autistic son so I do admire you.

I certainly hope that I am not experiencing the beginning of Meniere’s disease. My otologist doesn’t think I have Meniere’s since I lost all my hearing in the left ear in less than 24 hours. It was actually like 12 hours. I have read that Meniere’s involves gradual hearing loss and vertigo attacks. The ENT I saw prior to the otologist said I had sudden hearing loss and vestibular neuronitis.

What kind of hearing aid do you have Jewel? How much residual hearing do you have and what was your speech recognition? I’d be interested to know what types of hearing aids others on here with residual hearing have tried. I read about implantable hearing devices, such as Vibrant Soundbridge. It is somewhat like a Baha and requires surgery and has a tiny external processor, but it is for people with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss with at least 50% speech recognition. Not sure if it is done for people with one-sided loss or if it has to be bilateral, though. Anyone know anything about this device? Implantable hearing devices are supposed to give those of us with sensory hearing loss much better hearing than regular hearing aids and may help a lot with tinnitus. I know they are expensive, but in the United States some insurance will cover implants or partially cover implants but not cover hearing aids at all.

To suburban mom - in reply to your post to Jewel41 I want to tell you the following:
I have no hearing left in the right ear due to an onset of SSNHL. It all happened in less than 10 minutes in January 2006.
The 6 days steroids treatment did not bring back my hearing. Furthermore, I then got a 6 days treatment of an antibiotic which took away some of my hearing in the left ear where I now have moderate to severe hearing loss.
Yet according to MEEI in Boston where I go, I am not a candidate for either the Baha System or a CI because they tell me my speech recognition is still 100%. They told me that as long as my speech recognition is at that level there is nothing that they will do.
I will have to continue to wear a hearing aid. I have the BTE Savia 211. I can hear with that HA in my left ear. It is the 24/7 Tinnitus that is killing me.
Bottom line is that they will base their decision on an implant on your speech recognition. To me this is all so frustrating.
Have a good day

Hi all,
does anyone have any experience with a cros-aid?
i'm thinking of getting one, but havent heard that they are all that great.

Seattlestan,
When you say you massage your ear, how do you go about doing this? Do you massage the area behind the outer ear, or just all over and around the ears? I thought the inner ear was deep inside and that one really couldn't do much in terms of messages.
Thank you.
nvega

nvega

Having had SSNHL twice I have noticed signs of approaching doom that has to do with that feeling of 'fullness'. So I have started treating the area around my ear and down the eustachian tube with massages. Seems to mitigate the 'fullness'. It has been 8 months now since the last SSNHL and I just had a follow up yesterday. My hearing in both ears is the same (right ear was never affected)and appropriate for my age (62), with losses in the higher frequencies.

I continue to have constant tinnitus in the left ear, which rachets up decibel-wise in late afternoon. I tried a month of Lipo Flavanoids but did not notice any change so I eliminated that effort.

I seem to have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and am constantly yawning, expanding my jaw on the left side to augment my hearing. Part of the massage thing to in dealing with this dysfunction. Even though I havea a pretty good ear guy, he has no real help for me on this. My GP, who is naturopathically-oriented, believes the only possible help is cranio-sacral therapy. Have not found someone that will take the insurance I have. Still working on it though. Thanks for asking. I know it sounds hokie, but I am treating that area just as I would a sore elbow, Achilles, etc.

Hi Suburbanmum,
I have an avergerage 38dB hearing loss across all frequencies (up to 60dB in highest frequencies). My hearing aid is an OTICON BTE, it is small and simple with three settings and no volume control. Now I am used to it I only use the loudest setting. I am not aware that I have had any tests for speech recognition but I know that with my bad ear it is not good!

Seattlestan,
Thank you for your feedback. I am starting to message all around the ear area, too. I guess it can't hurt to do it on the good ear, too. I, too suffer from Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and yes, I, too, am yawning left and right all day long. If I hear of any new approaches I will make sure to keep you posted.
nvega

nvega

Thanks for your response. My thoughts exactly. It won't hurt anything and it makes me feel that I have a bit of control. Keep me posted and I will likewise.

Oh! Long list of posts.

Can you summarize the name of medicines that you have tried so far and what is the present condition in short.?

Rajendra, not sure who you are addressing but...
SSHL (sudden sensorineural hearing loss) which is any loss of hearing over a period of 3 days or less which is not conductive hearing loss. Most people like me lose the hearing while they are asleep at night.
'Treatments' - Betahistine, Aciclovir, Prednisone steroids, lipoflavinoids, Ginko Biloba, Steroid injections into eardrum, Carbogen gas inhalation, hyperbaric oxygen chamber +others though in truth it is widely believed that none of these treatments is effective and recovery is spontaneous if it happens. I along with many on this site believe that steroids help but only when given in high doses immediately after onset or directlyinto the ear though this is not an option offered to many of us.

I haven't posted for a long time but I do check you guys periodically. I want to tell you of my MIRACLE. I was hit with SSHL last September. I had given up and was learning to live with it. Last week I noticed that I was hearing better in my bad ear. My big test has always been HOLD PHONE TO RIGHT EAR AND LISTEN FOR DIAL TONE. My hearing has come back. Now I am not sure how much but it seems good. I am arranging to have a hearing test to see how much I have hearing I have regained. I am in a state of shock over this. So everyone out there MIRACLES can happen. I will keep you informed of my hearing test results.

hopebc

What an incredible event! What have you been doing that might have contributed to this change? It's been 9 months and, without going back over all the postings since I joined this forum, could you summarize what you have done/taken/prayed etc.?

Mostly I have prayed and so have many, many friends and family. I went on a two week cruise the end of May and did a lot of swimming in the Caribbean seas in different ports and eaten more fruit than ever. Thats about it. It truly is a miracle because my hearing was shot in my right ear. The ringing has gone, loud noise doesn't bother . I give my thanks to the Lord because after all this time I was resigned to SSHL.

Hello again everyone. I too have experienced an improvement in my 'bad' ear. I became almost deaf in my left ear overnight on jan 2,2007,- 5 months ago. As you may recall I had distortion of sounds, bad tinnitus, ear fullness and was having a very tough time dealing with it. I could not sleep because of terrible tinnitus. Well, I have now soon been on loop diuretics for 3 months. My first follow-up after starting on diuretics did show gain in my audiogram, so the doctors wanted to continue. On Thursday I am going back for another follow-up, as they said it is not recommended to take this drug any longer than approx. 3 months. (I have lost almost 10 kg, and it makes you feel drained, tired and sometimes dizzy) Well, I am very excited about taking a new audiogram, because I feel my hearing has continued to improve a lot since last time. I do not have to wear the hearing aid at all any longer (Phonak Keypilot 2)and I feel I can hear quite well! I do still have problems in church, office cafeteria,- places with a lot of human voices and acousticas,- makes me tired and everything sounds loud and 'blurry'. I have not had another 'balance problem' since april 19th,- where I got so sick I had to lay down. My low tinnitus sound is not so noticeable to me anymore, but I am very bothered by a high tinnitus signal. And I have bad ear fullness still. So all in all; hearing improved a lot, ear fullness fluctuates but still there almost all the time, tinnitus better but not at all 'acceptable'. The doctors belive tinnitus can improve after i stop taking diuretics, so I look forward to my appointment on thursday,- to see if I can finally stop taking them. (I am so 'dehydrated' now that I just go to the bathroom as normal now, in the beginning I had to 'plan' my day carefully) In addition to diuretics and pottassium pills, I take bioflavonoids, magnesium,E vitamins,and omega 3. Last time, the doctors said a small tube in the ear drum could help with ear fullness,- So I am eager to see what they will say on Thursday. Best of luck to everyone,- improvement can still happen even if 3 months have passed!!

WOW hopebc and also Kimno
So you both have some hearing back? Maybe there will be a miracle for me as well one of these days.
I never heard that after a few months there could be recovery of sudden deafness.
In any case I am glad for you guys

Thanks be to God

Take care and be well

Ho hope01
My hearing was gone for nine months. It has come back. Last night I got a real scare hearing a loud whining noise in that ear and I rushed to the phone to see if I could hear the dial tone. I did. That was a scare. I know I have never heard of hearing coming back after such a long time but I am living proof that it can.
Cheers and Praise the One who does do Miracles

I just want to remind everyone the importance of having an MRI done after sudden hearing loss, especially if its in just one ear. Almost all of the time nothing shows up on the MRI but its still a very important thing to do under these circumstances....a doctro cannot properly and accuratly give a diagnsis without it.
I have an acoustic neuroma and my symptoms started off with a mild sudden hearing loss and a little vertigo. I absolutly do not want to alram anyone, ANs are extremely rare but I just want everyone to realize the importance of getting the MRI done.
All the best
T

Tatianna--I remember when you first posted last year--how have you been? Have you had any changes since finding out about AN and are you being treated for it? I have experienced the same suddne hearing loss almost a year ago and have seen a few doctors, but kept putting off the MRI since the last specialist I saw told me that he was 99% sure it wasnt acoustic neuroma and that I would only be getting the MRI done for good measure. So at his suggestion I started getting accupuncture regularly and there has been no change in my hearing but after reading your last post I am going to get it done after all :) hope you are well.

Hello everyone, I am new! I had an onset of SSHL abt 5 weeks ago. I had high dose of steroids and anti-viral at the beginning stage ( no shots to ear available here)and got back 100% in low and mid freq hearing, but high freq just improved from 90db to 70db so far and I also have tinnitus! ENT doctor said high freq is more difficult to reover. I hear ok now just a bit muffled in noisy area, and I dun like the ringing...
ENT doctor said around 1 month the hearing is kind of stabilized....I wish for miracle to happen so that I can return 100% normal soon. I pray for myself and pray for everyone here who suffered. I am on chinese medicine now , felt less pressure on the ear and more comfortable in that area. Anyone has high frequency loss can finally get back later ??? and how abt the tinnitus? is it possible to go away for good later?
Good to hear both hopebc and klmno get their hearing back at last , keep the faith.
God bless us

Hi TaraJoy,
Im doing well actually. My symptoms are all still the same as when I was initially diagnosed, nothing has changed. My AN is quite small but is growing slowly. Right now Im under observation and will most likely undergo radiation as my choice of treatment. Its just as effective as surgery and has fewer side affects.
Your doctor is right, 99% you dont have an AN but its better to cross it off the list as a possibility then to leave it. My ENT told me the same thing, most likely was not an AN but having the MRI was protocol. MRI should be a definite for any person who has experienced sudden symtoms like we have. ANs are very treatable and the smaller it is the more treatment options you have.
Again, this is very rare and 99% you dont have one but I think its still better to be 100% sure.
Take care and please inform me when you get negative MRI result.
T

Hi Tatianna, I had an MRI scan after my onset of SSHL in November last year but it was not enhanced. Everything I have read says it should be enhanced with Gadolinium, was yours? Do you have any headache or earache?

god2007, after a delay of more than month it is unlikely that any more hearing will come back but as we have seen, it does happen. If SSHL is really the death of hair cells in the cochlea as some ENTs suggest then in theory it should not be possible to get the hearing back as they supposedly cannot regrow. I have been told by a leading ENT in London that of 100 people reporting SSHL 50% will recover on day one, of the remaining - 50% will recover within 2 weeks, of the remaining - 50 % will recover within 8 weeks. The 2 people in 100 that are left do not FULLY recover but most of them, like me, have a degree of recovery. He also suggests that the condition is much more common than we think as many people recover on day one and don't report to a Doctor, believing they have a blocked eustachian tube. He firmly believes that all recovery is spontaneous and no treatment is proven to help but all treatments should be given to all patients to give them a chance! The bottom line as always is NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THIS CONDITION IS OR HOW IT OCCURS.