Sudden Hearing loss _{Page 91 of 105}

JeWeL41
Reducing salt intake is not good to health, instead we should consume unrefined sea salt the minerals of which are balanced. Common salt is harmful, because it is refined and not balanced in minerals. Minerals and trace elements are essential to the metabolism of our cells. I am now having unrefined sea salt, I think it useful to me for removing toxins from the body. Our bodily fluids are rather similar to that of sea water. Seaweeds are nutritious because of the mineral abundance of the ocean. The best diet is food from mother nature and is unmodified. Nowadays, vegetables and fruits contain insufficient minerals, because crop rotations are rarely practised by farmers.

eltonlam, I beg to differ. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that we consume too much salt. There is also a suggestion that cochlear hydrops which is another possible cause of SSHL can be improved by reducing your salt intake. A low salt diet also means you are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure.

I am going into my fifth month of hearing loss in both ears and have come to the conclusion that not much except time works. I think I have had a placebo effect fromt he Methotrexate that I've been on because I have not gotten any better after the first initial boost. I think your brain does some re-wiring and your brain adjusts to not hearing certain sounds and lip reading becomes normal. My doctor has advised me to stay on the Methotrexate until February but he is worried that when I go off I will lose what little I have gained. Just reading all of the posts makes me think that time does more to heal than any of the medicines they try to put you on. I have found that if I can keep my stress level down, my salt intake scant (I too have begun using sea salt) and my attitude grateful I have a much better life. I fought this hearing loss with everything I have and now I think it is time to look at the hearing aids and possibly the cohclear implants. Happy New Year to you all and I hope that soon some doctor somewhere will find something that will help all of us.

jeWeL41,
Salt content inside processed food is high, which is harmful to our health, because this salt is unbalanced. It is harmful to our ears and can cause high blood pressure and some other diseases. I never eat processed food because of the unbalanced salt inside. Similarly, sugar that has been refined is also harmful to out health. I never take food with refined sugar.

jakeabe, Hi. I don't know your story but clearly bilateral SSHL is very uncommon and I was just wondering if you have had an MRI scan as an inherited condition callled neurofibromatosis can be responsible for sudden bilateral hearing loss.

found this forum after I suffered SSNHL last August,I went to the hospital here in the middle east immediately and was given oral prednisolone, after a week there was no change and I then returned home to Bangkok and visited my doctor there, he said I should go into hospital immediately and he put me on intraveneous steroids and various other meds incuding xanax! Within a week my hearing had returned to 95% and remains the same today. I would recommend this treatment to anyone.Had I given up after the oral steroids who knows if my hearing would have returned.

Taking steroids or having intravenous shots may not work for anyone. I think you can have a try when autoimmune disease is confirmed. Steroids suppress our immune system, which may weaken our body.

So my dad experienced sudden hearing loss in his left ear on Christmas night, but it doesnt help that he had bacterial menegitis 15 years ago so he lost hearing in his right ear after that illness, so now my dad has no hearing. We thought he had an ear infection so took him to a walk in clinic on Saturday and they did say that he had an infection and put him on antibiotics. Well hearing never came back, so went to the ENT that Monday. He said that he had a virus that caused sensorineural hearing loss. He perscribed 11 days of prednisone and no prevail.Went down to the university of Iowa to have the steroid injections directly in the ear. The first shot he regained some hearing of noises that he was unable to hear before, but he still cant understand words. Went yesterday, Thursday, to get a second shot. The doctors say that the goal is to have him hear words but the doctors are not thinking the shots are working. Next appointment is going to have the whole audiology hearing test to see if he would be a candidate for the cochlear implant, since he cant hear from either ear, or a hearing aid. Has anybody had any success with the shots? Im hoping and praying the doctors are wrong for my dads sake. Any encouraging words helps

Thanks,
Tammy

2earloss,
I was given steroid shot in my left ear in two different intervals. I did not hear anything according to the subsequent audio test report. I gave up the third injection. Months later, some response came up in the audio test, so I am wondering whether the shots are effectve or the natural healing power of my own takes effect. I take spirulina tablets daily to help the healing process. I believe that the body can heal itself if the right nutrients can be provided.

2earloss. I took lost my hearing in August and I took had an infection that took the hearing in my right ear about 14 years ago so now I have severe hearing loss in both ears. I have been the route of high doses of prednisone. I have had the ear injections (5 shots) thru a slit in the ear drum. Like your dad, it helped regain some hearing of sounds such as water running, door bell ringing, but not speech. They now have me on a cancer drug called Methotrexate which they have started using for autoimmune diseases. I've been on it since November and have gained some word recognition. I was fortunate in having a young doctor who will not give up. The first doctor I went to told me I would have to prepare myself for the fact that I would not get any better. Well, I have. So, don't give up on your dad. I am to the point where they think that perhaps hearing aids might help and if not then cochlear implants will be done. Don't give up.

Thanks for the help, its pretty amazing how many people get this type of strange hearing loss. The doctors say that they will keep giving him shots as long as he can handle them. Im going to share this with him, he is still hoping that the words will be heard again. I believe he will hear words again. Any other suggestions?

2earloss -
I want to just throw this out there b/c it helped me a lot. And because your dad's doctor thought it was viral. I have had success with taking the antiviral medication Famvir - I lost the low tones in my right ear back in May - in October I convinced my doctor to let me try antivirals because of some reading I'd been doing, and within 2 weeks my hearing was back to normal levels. (It was never as bad as your dad's though). The antiviral medication was really easy to take, no side effects; I think it is much more benign than a lot of the other meds they try. It might be worth investigating. The thing is, my case is very different than your dads since my doctor believes I have a variant of Meniere's Disease (the symptoms usually include dizziness - but also low-frequency, fluctuating hearing loss and a full feeling in your ear). So I'm not saying it would be the right thing for your dad, just something to discuss with the doctor.

SSHL is often not traceable. I think that SSHL can be caused by toxins in the body. The accumulation of toxins in the body may damage organs including the organ of hearing and balance. Toxins may damage the kidney or liver. Toxins may accumulate to affect arteries or the arteries of the ear. Heart disease can be caused if the arteries to the hearts are blocked by toxins which often ahere to artery walls or be embedded in organs. Many diseases can be caused because of bad circulation of blood. If the amount of toxins present in our body exceeds that that our body can handle, our bodily organs, tissues or cells will suffer. So constant detoxification is important to maintain a healthy body.

etmd22,
My situation is very similar to yours. I lost 90% in my left ear 14 months ago. Like you, my SHL began following a stressful dental procedure. My life was also tumultuous as I had recently lost my Mom to cancer and my 2 beloved uncles, too. My wife was 6 months pregnant at the time and I was informed I would loose my job.

I thought I was handling this as well as anyone could, but who knows what's going on in the brain?!

I had vertigo for a few weeks and still get spells, but the tinnitus is just awful.

I'm curious to know your (and other forum members who may have experience here) thoughts on re-training the brain to cancel specific frequencies, as I have seen a few advertisements claiming success. Have you tried any remedies or do you have any further thoughts on reversing the possible 'stroke' damage?

BTW, my son is almost two and is the best thing that could have happened to me. I agree that time and a positive attitude will help with coping. I would love it, however, if a little less EAR SQUEALING could go along with it.

downwhatnow,
I think that vascular problem can cause SSHL and other diseases. I think that toxins in the blood can cause many diseases including SSHL. Stress can produce free radicals which are toxins. My tinnitus is not so severe because I am a vegetarian. Eating foods that can clear artery blockages is important to reverse SSHL. I take gogi juice, spirulina, chlorella and ginko. Detoxify your body by drinking purified water with a pinch of unrefined natural sea salt in it. Drink a mouthful in every 30 minutes. Keeping our blood alkaline is also important to the healing process. I never eat processed food. I think that SSHL can be healed only when other parts of our body is normal and rid of toxins. Hope that your situation gets improved with the lapse of time.

hello still here, just stepped into to say hi. and go saints. hope all is well

eltonlam,
Thanks for the advice on nutrition. Since I married I eat a lot better and my wife is wanting to steer away from processed food, too.

I will try the water/sea salt method today, along with some of the supplements when I get to the store next.

Thanks againg for the advice.

downwhatnow,

I empathasize totally with you. Especially regarding the joy of kids (I'm a pediatrician). Best thing to do is lead life as fully and joyfully as possible, especially reaching out to others to help them in any way and seeking help in return. None of this necessarily makes the hearing or the noises better but serves to divert and distract our conscious awareness from the subject and to allow our brains to accommodate better. I'm pleased that my brain thinks it's hearing almost stereophonically now even with just one ear. I'm also amazed that I find myself 'speech-reading' people's mouths and faces (not lip-reading).

I'm also delighted that I have lost my abject fear of going to restaurants--as long as I can choose a quieter-area table, ask for the music to be turned down and stay at table for no more than 4 people, total.

All in all, in the 7 months of total one-sided hearing loss starting after a same-sided dental procedure, which was also concommitant with the stress of losing my brother, I'd estimate that functionally (i.e. my moods, fears, getting along with life, work, family, stuff), I'm 50 % improved! I'm a worrier by nature, so this is good news and an indication anyone can do it!

One of the issues that helps me not worry is that I stay on top of the science literature so I know there is not a thing I'm missing in terms of advances in understanding the usual causes of SSNHL (a virus, an auto-immune disease, a mini-stroke, 'we just don't know') and less mentioned causes that our forum members know are true, such as major stress and minor dental procedures!

Also, I stay on top of treatments and know I'm not missing anything either: steroids are worth a trial-even injected through the eardrum; anti-virals are also worth a trial; finally diuretics may be worth a trial. Personally, I take large amounts of antioxidant supplements.

Mostly, though, recovery seems mostly a matter of time, luck and the notion that whatever God wants to happen is going to happen--in which case it helps for us to be kind, ethical good human beings as we live our lives.

My tinnitus is fortunately on the quiet side so I don't have much to say here, other than to note that treatments sounding too good to be true are not true. Perhaps some other forum members will have some specific ideas on this.

etmd22 - you are a very sensible inspiration!

dowhatnow - tinnitus is not much fun, heres what helps me :-

wearing a hearing aid

always having some quiet background noise such as the radio

trying not to listen to it!!

Positive thoughts.

I don't believe any pills or potions or massive diet changes make any difference I'm afraid. After 3 and a half years I have learned to live with it as most people do.

I've had oral steroids (made me mean and fat, it was kind of fun eating, though) to no avail.

I'll try some supplements and homeo-ways. It's worth a shot.

But I'm beginning to think the solution lies within our individual minds and our perception of our problem.

Although my T is pretty raging, when I'm busy with my son, making music, or other hobbies, it takes a back seat.

My 'public places madness' that can accompanies the T has gotten better over time.

Natural raw living food is the best healing food, but I am afraid if they are organic or not. The mineral contents in existing plantations are lacking because of inappropriate methods of farming. Certainly nutrients in our crops will significantly diminish. Raw living food contains oxygen, enzymes, minerals, trace elements, phytochemicals, antioxidants and bioactive substances. Animal products are lacking in these substances and will make our body acidic. An acidic body will not facilitate healing and can intensify our tinnitus.

dowhatnow,

You are 100% correct in your thinking and attitude. Absolutely nothing else can be added at this time at least from a 'medical science' point of view (notwithstanding the well-meaning advice from others regarding various preferences/theories/views re re acid, minerals, homeopathy, etc.). As you write, time and perception seem to be our greatest healers! You certainly help and inspire me!

I am 1&3/4 years into my SSHL that occurred 6/23/08. I opted to skip steroid treatment and got hearing aids. My SSHL left ear has a profound loss, and what I hear through the hearing aid is distorted. Time has made my brain able to correctly interpret the sounds I hear in my left ear. I kept a voice mail message on my cell to have a reference without aids to judge hearing changes, nothing has changed.

I am pleased with my choice, because I avoided the possible bad side effects of steroids at my age (66), and I have reasonable good hearing with my aids. My right ear hears almost perfectly with the hearing aid that makes up for my mid and high frequency losses due to previous loud noise exposure exposure.

I wish the best for all of the new SSHL victims posting on this forum. My advice: Take a deep breath, and accept that this SSHL is not the worst thing that could have happened to you. You can adjust, as I have.

brokenear,
Steroids do wash away our calcium reserves. I have a friend who suffers severe osteoporosis of the hip joints because of repeated steroid injections. He cannot walk without sticks and suffers severe pain all the time. He is awaiting to have the hip balls replaced. We will suffer if we put something unnatural in our body. We are born to have a natural healing power if the right natural nutrients are provided to our body. I never eat processed food that can weaken our immune system. The best food is the raw organic living food which can provide tremendous healing power to our bodiy organs, tissues and cells. I cannot afford eating them because they are generally expensive.

Finally found a cure - so I'm sharing with as many people as I can in the hopes it will help someone.

In 2006 I suffered a 60db single-sided sudden sensorineural hearing loss, followed later by vertigo attacks and a diagnosis of Meniere’s Disease. I have since made a *full* recovery after suffering for 3 years. In my case these symptoms were the result a food allergy (which I have also recovered from).

I created a web site to document my own experience since it appears most ENTs have little idea about simple allergies (e.g. food, environmental) as one possible cause of significant & sudden hearing loss. [I can't post the URL on this site directly, but my user profile has it]

It includes scans of my hearing tests & allergy results.

( the House Ear Clinic - is an example of a medical practice that acknowledges the connection between allergies and hearing disorders. )

Good Luck to all & get well soon!