Hearing loss

I'm trying to decide whether to call and report this today or wait until I see my GP in a couple of weeks.

Last night I lost hearing on the ear that shows some nerve damage on the BAER. It went out suddenly for 20 minutes, then slowly came back. I'm not sure if it's all back yet or not, but seems like not.

Should I wait to report this, or should I call today? I read here that someone else lost hearing for 3 minutes and that prompted treatment with IVSM. So if it could speed up the process of diagnosis and treatment, my hand is on the phone with fingers twitching to push the buttons. The fever started up again and the muscle spasms and twitching have been more intense and sustained than ever these last couple of days.

Thoughts, experiences or advice?

[COBOB]

Call the Neuro.  That is kind of a major onset symptom to a sense organ.

[jumpinjiminy]

My neuro is at a standstill and doesn't think that a rheumatology consult will yield results. But yet, he's not ready to treat any underlying disorder. I'll give him a call and see what happens, but if it's a report now thing, I'll also call my GP. He will likely do something over nothing like the neuro has been.

I think it's safe to say by now this isn't an infectious disease or viral.

Thanks, Bob.

[COBOB]

It could be.  Heck, I could be ear wax, but until someone looks in you ear, that can't be ruled out.  Given all you Neurologic symptoms, I just think it is a good idea for someone to look.

Bob

[jumpinjiminy]

GP wants me in today. Thanks for the help.

[jenandherboys]

When you get the fever, can you feel it starting?  If so, what symptoms prompt you to check for fever?

Just wondering since I get the chills with most every episode I have had so far.  This is especially unusual since I am normally a very "warm" person-dressing in clothes that keep me cooler, always hot when those around me are comfortable or even cool, using fans often.

I also have auditory symptoms, but never complete loss of hearing.  Usually includes tinnitus, sensitivity to high pitch sounds(esp. counting coins in cash register at work) and diffuculty hearing/understanding speech/conversations.  Have you ever had any of these types of problems?

I had a standard hearing test-put the headphones on and raise your hand when you hear the sound in that ear. Everything was normal, but I wasn't experiencing problems at that point, either.  Do you know if the BAER can show different results than a hearing test?

Hope your appointment goes well and you get somewhere with your neuro, also.  Let us know what they decide to do for you.  Good luck!!!  Remember to continue pushing for explainations/answers until YOU are satisfied with the response!

Be Well!

Jen

[marymoto]

hi jump my hearing went out in my right ear for about two hours  i also have tinnitus

[jumpinjiminy]

The GP said that ear looked a little congested, but nothing major. But I've had trouble with it draining properly off and on since a bout of pneumonia six years ago. He's decided not to do anything about it just yet.

I do have a lot of trouble with that ear: high and low pitched ringing, aching, stabbing pains, crackling, fullness, internal twitching, pulsatile tinnitus, and episodic hearing loss - usually only for a few seconds at a time.

But with this fever spell the vertigo, loss of balance and powerful muscle spasms all made a come back as well.

I can tell when the fever is climbing because my face starts feeling warm and flushed. I've been a little OCD about taking the temp (temporal artery scanners make this very easy) because the docs have been asking a lot of questions about it - how high it goes, how long it lasts, fluctuation patterns.

The BAER measures the nerve response of the five auditory nerves from the ear to the brainstem. The neuro I see is a balance and dizziness specialist with an audiologist on staff who has done all the testing. She picked up mild high tone hearing loss in this same ear and an initial slowed nerve responses on all of the nerves that came back up to normal throughout the BAER test.

I also sometimes have trouble localizing sound, separating out background noise, and have had episodes where hearing sensitivity has brought on nausea. During that time, normal talking made the inside of my head buzz like crazy, and loud sounds made the inside of my ear twitch. I'm normally pretty sound sensitive. Lately, when talking on the phone, the sound goes through my head and makes the entire thing buzz like an electrical static.

[RedFlame]

I have times when my hearing will suddenly become 'congested', I can't think of a better term than that.  I also have some tinnitus.  I don't think mine is connected to MS.  I was hit in that side of my head though.

I am not a doctor but I wonder if there are parts of our ears that close at times, for example after hearing a very loud sound or hearing music at too high a decibel.  Closing and then opening back up when the threat is gone.  

Anyway, I hope you get answers about your hearing.

Red

[jumpinjiminy]

That's how my lungs do when I'm exposed to cold air or smoke. It's like the airways go into a quick spasm of protection, sort of like a reflex response. Maybe.

For the last couple of years, the fullness and problems with drainage have been attributed to TMJ because it can cause the muscle that drains the ear to go into spasm. But after the treatment the dentist says all the symptoms I've been having are not TMJ related but something else. I guess that's one more thing taken out of the picture at least. It did help with the headaches - they don't last as long as before. It was getting to where they would last for two weeks to three months. Now it's down to a day or two again.

[missy72450]

I completely lost my hearing in the left. After steroids I regained some. I can hear at 90mhz. If you don't know how loud that is try turning up your music as loud as it can go and see how ad that hurts. Now if this continues I would recommend following up with an ENT or a Neuro Audiologist for IV solumedrol to reduce the risk of complete and permanent loss.

I feel mine is related to the MS but not been proven. I also have Nystagmus and vertigo so who knows I do on occasion have a congested feeling on the other side but my hearing has been fine. The pa

The pain in the ears is stabbing as well as in the right eye.


Anyway don't mess with it and be pro active. You don't miss your hearing till ya don't got it.

Missy

[COBOB]

I think you mean 90 Hz (a pretty low frequency tone.)  90 KHz is higher than dogs can hear.  90 MHz is in the FM radio band!

Hertz is frequency or pitch.  Loudness is typically measured in dB or decibels.  Decibels is actually a measurement of pressure, that our ears perceive as loudness.  

Your average Rock band.....................108 - 114 dB    (16 times as load as 70 dB)
Food blender ......................................88 dB             (twice as load as 70 dB)
Radio or TV-audio. vacuum cleaner....... 70 dB


Bob

[jumpinjiminy]

Thanks for the input Missy. I would definitely miss my hearing, or anything else for that matter. It's why I've been branching out to different specialists before the docs recommend it. I hadn't considered an ENT, except tried to schedule with one that specializes in vocal cord issues. They never called me back, and with all the other appointments lately, I let that one fall to the back burner for now.

[Nancy T]

If your neuro is a dizziness specialist, you should definitely call them right away and tell them about the hearing loss. Sudden hearing loss should be checked out right away.

I had a severe, sudden permanent loss in my left ear 11 years ago. GPs don't know anything about this, trust me! You need to report hearing problems to an ENT or neurologist who specializes in the inner ear (dizziness, hearing loss, etc.).

A dizziness-specialist neuro did send me for BAER testing (this was a year after I lost my hearing) and it was extremely abnormal, off the charts, on both sides. But no explanation was given.

Don't mess with your hearing. Let your specialist know about any new hearing problems the same day, especially if it's lost hearing. A neurologist specializing in balance/dizziness will know about these things and can refer you to the right ENT if they consider it necessary (because neurologists don't do procedures on the ear, they're not surgeons).

Nancy T. (no diagnosis except "cranial neuropathy")

[jumpinjiminy]

Thanks, Nancy. I called him this morning and am waiting to hear back. I also had a strange visual disturbance/hallucination last night, so reported both. I don't think he'll take either one seriously or do anything about it. But we will see. If nothing else, I see the new rheumy today. Maybe she will have a clue.

[jumpinjiminy]

So since the neuro wasn't responsive in any way to this other than saying "Hmmm" (according to the receptionist), I have decided to schedule with an ENT. With all of the problems I've been having in that area, why not? And considering the GP saw some congestion, all the more so. Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe they might have some clues, being the experts in the internal anatomy there.