Aa
SSHL recovery timeframe
at what point does a person with diagnosed SSHL, who has already been treated with oral steroids and tympanic injections of steroids, give up hope of experiencing any further hearing improvement?
Hello, today is December 24. On December 17 I suddenly lost a very good portion of the hearing in my left ear . Like many, I thought that my ear just needed to pop. By the second day I thought maybe I had wax build up. Tried a little bit of peroxide on a Q-tip and swished around. No luck. I waited a couple more days but my real wake up call was when I was sleeping with my good ear down on the pillow and my infant son,in the same room, was crying and I did not hear him. The Following morning I decided against contacting my PCP. It was a Friday before a holiday weekend. I called and ENT office instead and explained to the girl in scheduling that I had an infant son and preferred to not go to my PCP only to be referred to ENT. I did not want to drag my newborn around in December weather. (This was probably my saving grace as I now understand how crucial timing is for treatment) She told me to come in within an hour. My hearing test proved that I had extreme hearing loss. A steroid injection was done that day and I began oral prednisone- six pills a day for two weeks then taper one pill every two days.
Unfortunately, the doctor was very abrupt and was in and out of the room. A nurse practitioner came into the room after the injection to explain the steroid instructions. Now that I am home I have so many questions and preferred to not call the answering service over a holiday weekend. I suppose what I am experiencing is a slight ringing in the ear for a brief period of time. But I am also hearing a beep BEEP beep, very similar to the beep that you hear during the hearing test. At times the beep is very faint at times somewhat too loud. Is it possible that this is a sign of the steroid working, perhaps healing things up inside the ear by the nerve.
Other questions that I have is related to kind of protecting the ear. When my son cries there is a ringing sound, almost painful. I suppose it would not hurt to put a little bit of cotton in that ear. My question is, is the ringing a way to try to protect or is the ringing a warning that more damage is being done?
How about when you sleep at night? Should I sleep with the affected ear facing up towards the ceiling? Does gravity play any part in the steroid injected? Should I sit up during the day should I lay down for a good portion of the day should I hang my head off of the bed? Ha ha, at this point I am just desperate like many of us here.
I am scheduled for another injection on the 30th with of course a follow up hearing test.
Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated. Thank you
Unfortunately, the doctor was very abrupt and was in and out of the room. A nurse practitioner came into the room after the injection to explain the steroid instructions. Now that I am home I have so many questions and preferred to not call the answering service over a holiday weekend. I suppose what I am experiencing is a slight ringing in the ear for a brief period of time. But I am also hearing a beep BEEP beep, very similar to the beep that you hear during the hearing test. At times the beep is very faint at times somewhat too loud. Is it possible that this is a sign of the steroid working, perhaps healing things up inside the ear by the nerve.
Other questions that I have is related to kind of protecting the ear. When my son cries there is a ringing sound, almost painful. I suppose it would not hurt to put a little bit of cotton in that ear. My question is, is the ringing a way to try to protect or is the ringing a warning that more damage is being done?
How about when you sleep at night? Should I sleep with the affected ear facing up towards the ceiling? Does gravity play any part in the steroid injected? Should I sit up during the day should I lay down for a good portion of the day should I hang my head off of the bed? Ha ha, at this point I am just desperate like many of us here.
I am scheduled for another injection on the 30th with of course a follow up hearing test.
Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated. Thank you
1 Comments
les1982: Find out how many DB's of hearing you lost int he affected ear. This would be on a recent audiogram when compared to an older one. If the lose exceeds 30 DB's , the hearing will likely not return. I was told this buy my ENT after I also had SSHL. I lost 40+ Db's and my hearing has never returned after two full years. I had shots and prednisone the day it happened. Good luck and everyone is different so don't give up hope.
The only way to make a prognosis is by examining the symptoms: the more severe, the worse the indicators. I hope not many have worse symptoms than me: SSNHL in both ears making me severely deaf, and yet atypical tinnitus means my head is permanently noisy. If you ain't this bad, you have some hope!
To answer, I've been told by many doctors that treatments are only effective within 1 - 2 weeks of onset, but after this period the steroids are fairly noneffective. HBOT experts have said 2-3 days is the best. I've also read a few cases online where after 30 days, they were able to recover with HBOT. Below is my personal account of this illness which I wanted to share in case it can raise awareness and help other afflicted.
I was diagnosed with idiopathic SSHL on July 5th 2018, but probably got it on July 1st 2018. I would like to thank Arbaaz for mentioning Hyperbauric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
Similar to Arbaaz, I am a 31 year old male otherwise healthy and got hit with SSHL out of the blue. Urgent care initially thought that I had an infection, so he was going prescribe me Antibiotics and Nasal spray. I also told him I had some hearing loss which made him a little, concerned, but he said the other illness he was thinking about is VERY RARE (I am assuming it was SSHL, lucky me!), this doctor has only seen it ONCE in his 13 years of practice. As a precaution he prescribed me Prednisone, my symptoms actually did not get better with Prednisone, I actually lost more hearing while on Prednisone and by day three I was COMPLETELY deaf.
After about Five days of suffering, I decided to go to the ENT to finally check it out. It is very difficult to get an appointment with an ENT in NYC especially on July 4th Weekend. I finally found one and she was able to diagnose me, but wanted to confirm with an audiologist. This was an extra 3 hr ordeal because the audiologist place had no idea what they were doing at the front desk. After confirming my diagnosis I went back to the ENT. While waiting to see her again, I researched on my phone online about SSHL and as I was reading, I began to become progressively more and more terrified. Based on all the reading, SSHL is only effectively treatable within 1-2 weeks, and chances of recovery diminishes as the days past. At this point, I am on Day FIVE! I started to doubt this ENT because she told me I could have waited until Monday to get the audiologist to confirm, but SSHL is a recognized medical emergency, how could she be so cavalier about it?! After about half hour, I finally got the injection which is surprisingly painless. I asked the doctor when i should expect to feel improvements, of whens he responded "let's see wait until Monday).
There was no noticeable improvement from the injections the following day (which was a Saturday). I spent much of the day doing more research on SSHL treatments, and found I had been doing all the mainstream ones 1) Oral Steroids + 2) Intratympanic Steroid Injections (ITI). But all the research shows that recovery rate for Oral Steroids and ITI was about 50-70%, and I've been on treatment for 7 days with no improvements whatsoever. I finally read Arbaaz comments and learned of (HBOT). I did more search on it and have read some promising studies and this was my last ditch effort to save my hearing. Unfortunately, this was a Saturday and most of the places that have HBOT was closed (hospitals included).
Monday finally rolls around (this is 9 days after incident), and I able to make contact with Plainview Hospital in NY. They told me that they recognized this was a medical emergency and they will do their best to get me into a Chamber same day. Their HBOT team was amazing, went I got there, they greeted me and everyone knew exactly who I was. Told me to take a seat and relax and someone will be with me soon. They got the blood work lined up and chest X-ray all scheduled. Within an hour and a half I was in a Chamber.
Chamber Experience and Results (I am still taking PredNisone 50 MG daily before HBOT)
Day 1 (Monday) - No noticeable improvements in hearing.
Day 2(Tuesday) - Again no noticeable improvements in hearing.
Day 3(Wednesday) - Again no noticeable improvements in hearing immediately after treatment. 3 hours afterwards, while on the train I start the shrieks of the poorly built MTA tracks, but my ear is just hearing static like an old CRT TV in black n white mode. This is great news. The ringing has also muted a bit.
I also decided to get another ITI as a precaution. I am no doctor but I am semi-convinced the ITI did nothing, because i saw no improvements from Friday to Tuesday which was about 4 days. I told the ENT that I thought HBOT was working, but she refused to admit stating that she has not seen ANY study that proves the efficacy of the treatment (there are plenty published online which shows its not more effective than the prevailing methods). She wasn't even curious to hear my case experience, needless to say I was disappointed in her as a doctor and a fellow professional.
Day 4(Thursday) - Noticable hearing improvements, i am able to discern words now when I listen to music on my phone (just to test me hearing) on speaker mode. Sounds from headphones was basically silent. Cannot hear most things people say, only certain streaky high pitches notices.
Day 5 (Friday) - Slight improvement, I am able to understand words better than Day 4.
In closing, I have many more HBOT sessions to go to (25 More). But the lesson I learned throughout this ordeal was that we should take charge of our own health. We should not merely put all our faith with our doctors, they are also human and imperfect. Many of the private clinics are more concerns with their wallet than your health (Yes I am a Cynic). The ENT I went to said that HBOT is NOT something she recommends (can you imagine how many patients could have been helped if she just recommended it?). Had i not stumbled on Arbaaz post, I might still just be on ITI and Oral steroids with the effectiveness of HBOT reducing daily. HBOT is commonly recommended as a "Salvage therapy" meaning a last ditch resort when conventional medicine has failed which would be on day 30, and likely too late at this point.
I was diagnosed with idiopathic SSHL on July 5th 2018, but probably got it on July 1st 2018. I would like to thank Arbaaz for mentioning Hyperbauric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
Similar to Arbaaz, I am a 31 year old male otherwise healthy and got hit with SSHL out of the blue. Urgent care initially thought that I had an infection, so he was going prescribe me Antibiotics and Nasal spray. I also told him I had some hearing loss which made him a little, concerned, but he said the other illness he was thinking about is VERY RARE (I am assuming it was SSHL, lucky me!), this doctor has only seen it ONCE in his 13 years of practice. As a precaution he prescribed me Prednisone, my symptoms actually did not get better with Prednisone, I actually lost more hearing while on Prednisone and by day three I was COMPLETELY deaf.
After about Five days of suffering, I decided to go to the ENT to finally check it out. It is very difficult to get an appointment with an ENT in NYC especially on July 4th Weekend. I finally found one and she was able to diagnose me, but wanted to confirm with an audiologist. This was an extra 3 hr ordeal because the audiologist place had no idea what they were doing at the front desk. After confirming my diagnosis I went back to the ENT. While waiting to see her again, I researched on my phone online about SSHL and as I was reading, I began to become progressively more and more terrified. Based on all the reading, SSHL is only effectively treatable within 1-2 weeks, and chances of recovery diminishes as the days past. At this point, I am on Day FIVE! I started to doubt this ENT because she told me I could have waited until Monday to get the audiologist to confirm, but SSHL is a recognized medical emergency, how could she be so cavalier about it?! After about half hour, I finally got the injection which is surprisingly painless. I asked the doctor when i should expect to feel improvements, of whens he responded "let's see wait until Monday).
There was no noticeable improvement from the injections the following day (which was a Saturday). I spent much of the day doing more research on SSHL treatments, and found I had been doing all the mainstream ones 1) Oral Steroids + 2) Intratympanic Steroid Injections (ITI). But all the research shows that recovery rate for Oral Steroids and ITI was about 50-70%, and I've been on treatment for 7 days with no improvements whatsoever. I finally read Arbaaz comments and learned of (HBOT). I did more search on it and have read some promising studies and this was my last ditch effort to save my hearing. Unfortunately, this was a Saturday and most of the places that have HBOT was closed (hospitals included).
Monday finally rolls around (this is 9 days after incident), and I able to make contact with Plainview Hospital in NY. They told me that they recognized this was a medical emergency and they will do their best to get me into a Chamber same day. Their HBOT team was amazing, went I got there, they greeted me and everyone knew exactly who I was. Told me to take a seat and relax and someone will be with me soon. They got the blood work lined up and chest X-ray all scheduled. Within an hour and a half I was in a Chamber.
Chamber Experience and Results (I am still taking PredNisone 50 MG daily before HBOT)
Day 1 (Monday) - No noticeable improvements in hearing.
Day 2(Tuesday) - Again no noticeable improvements in hearing.
Day 3(Wednesday) - Again no noticeable improvements in hearing immediately after treatment. 3 hours afterwards, while on the train I start the shrieks of the poorly built MTA tracks, but my ear is just hearing static like an old CRT TV in black n white mode. This is great news. The ringing has also muted a bit.
I also decided to get another ITI as a precaution. I am no doctor but I am semi-convinced the ITI did nothing, because i saw no improvements from Friday to Tuesday which was about 4 days. I told the ENT that I thought HBOT was working, but she refused to admit stating that she has not seen ANY study that proves the efficacy of the treatment (there are plenty published online which shows its not more effective than the prevailing methods). She wasn't even curious to hear my case experience, needless to say I was disappointed in her as a doctor and a fellow professional.
Day 4(Thursday) - Noticable hearing improvements, i am able to discern words now when I listen to music on my phone (just to test me hearing) on speaker mode. Sounds from headphones was basically silent. Cannot hear most things people say, only certain streaky high pitches notices.
Day 5 (Friday) - Slight improvement, I am able to understand words better than Day 4.
In closing, I have many more HBOT sessions to go to (25 More). But the lesson I learned throughout this ordeal was that we should take charge of our own health. We should not merely put all our faith with our doctors, they are also human and imperfect. Many of the private clinics are more concerns with their wallet than your health (Yes I am a Cynic). The ENT I went to said that HBOT is NOT something she recommends (can you imagine how many patients could have been helped if she just recommended it?). Had i not stumbled on Arbaaz post, I might still just be on ITI and Oral steroids with the effectiveness of HBOT reducing daily. HBOT is commonly recommended as a "Salvage therapy" meaning a last ditch resort when conventional medicine has failed which would be on day 30, and likely too late at this point.
2 Comments
I agree with your whole opinion .. At the beginning of the problem I asked more than 10 doctors about oxygen therapy and all of them said that it is ridiculous and will not help you certainly ... This is what I know late to take oxygen but in the end I took it after 40 days of the occurrence of the problem ... After 10 sessions .. i take hearing test (audiogram) There was an improvement of more than 20db ..
After 10 more sessions, nothing improved. The hearing level I have is 35db now
I think I was too late to start oxygen therapy because of the doctors' advice. Fortunately, there was an improvement, even if it was simple
You have to take the Ear injection ،pills and oxygen therapy at the same time it is complementary to each other ... If you didn’t took all of them your hearing will never back believe me))))
After 10 more sessions, nothing improved. The hearing level I have is 35db now
I think I was too late to start oxygen therapy because of the doctors' advice. Fortunately, there was an improvement, even if it was simple
You have to take the Ear injection ،pills and oxygen therapy at the same time it is complementary to each other ... If you didn’t took all of them your hearing will never back believe me))))
Yes I totally agree with you ! I suffered an SSHL event on my right ear. The ENT in the Hospital didn't want to do anything. He told me the hearing would pop back by itself. So I started to search for treatments and studies on recovery of SSHL events. Within hours you should be on Oxygen, vitamin B12 and stay with the Intertympanic steroid shots for the first 3 weeks. If you don't your chances of recovery are very small <7%. You really have to be your own advocate and push the ENT or find another that knows about SSHL and how to recover. Even with all the treatments I think the recovery rate is still only 54% and total recovery is less than 4%.
I think people who recover don't bother to write on forums. The only ones who write are the ones who are depressed,hopeless and looking for answers. I think this forum desperately needs a success story.
Here is one : )
I was struck by SSHL just recently, late at night, 9th of January 2018.
I am a 27 year old otherwise healthy guy. All of a sudden I started hearing a buzzing sound in my right ear at around 11pm at night. I did not pay much attention it and decided to sleep it off. I woke up around 4 in the morning and I noticed that the buzzing sound has become much louder and that it is the only sound I could hear in my right ear.
I was perturbed. I did some quick research online. The symptoms were exactly that of SSHL. My jaw dropped when I read that it has to cure.
I rushed to an ENT specialist in the morning who told me that it was indeed SSHL. I had severe hearing loss. 70db! She prescribed prednisone tablets to be taken for 10 days. I went back home and decided to have a second opinion. In the evening I went to another ENT specialist and he told me I must get admitted in a hospital. I should be given large doses of contortionists through IV. I took his advice and got myself admitted in a hospital. I was given 1 gram of steroids per day for next 5 days along with vasodilators and antibiotics.
After 5 days, there was still no improvement whatsoever in my hearing. The doctor performed myringotomy and placed a gormet in my ear, so that I can put dexamethasone injection directly into the ear at home everyday, without having to go to hospital. He also gave me complamina retard and prednisone tabets. I took the medication and injection as directed by the doctor but it did not help. Even after 2 weeks , I was still deaf in my right ear. I had been reading articles all over the internet on SSHL during this period and almost every other article stated that if you don't notice improvement in 12-13 days, then most probably you wont ever.
Now it had been almost 2 weeks with no improvement, I was desperate. At first I was pissed that God did this to me. I was angry and depressed. I no longer cared about anything. Prior to SSHL I was very careful about the food that ate. I was health conscious. I used to work out and everything. But now I just didn't care. I ate whatever I felt like eating , whenever I felt like eating. I became more belligerent. I didn't want to talk to anyone. The world had become a prison and I just wanted to do my time and disappear into the oblivion.
Then I remembered a verse from Quran (yes I am Muslim)
".. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way." Quran [2-186]
Which means that Allah (God) answers prayer of WHOEVER calls him. Not a saint not someone pious or righteous but WHOEVER calls him. The only condition is that that person will also have to listen to God. ie obey him. So I broke down and I prayed to him. I prayed to him through out the day whenever I could. I repented and I said I will give up all my bad habits. I may not be able to attain the status of sainthood but I am going to try to be the best version of myself. I will try.
And then I realized that even in asking God for help I am being extremely arrogant. Arrogant because I put a condition on something I was supposed to do anyway. I am supposed to obey God irrespective of my circumstances. But instead I have put a condition, that I will obey only if he grants my wish. That is arrogance. So I repented and decided to obey him and give up my bad habits right then and there. If he cures me , great. If not, I still obey him because that is what I am supposed to do anyways. He gave me this gift of hearing, took it away. It was never mine in the first place. I did not do anything to earn any of his blessings.
On 15th day, I was going through articles, websites etc on SSHL just like i did every day. I read about HBOT(Hyperberic Oxygen Therapy) and decided to call my doctor. I asked him what does he think about Hyperberic Oxygen Therapy. He said, I could give it a try if I want to since there is no harm in it. So I contacted a private click which offers HBOT. I began therapy on 16th day.
After just 5 days, my puretone average went from 67db to 40db. I decided to carry on with the therapy. I began praying more often. Doctor was surprised looking at my audiogram because he too had given up hope. And he has handled over 100 SSHL cases. After 18 session, my hearing has improved to puretone average of 20db. The five sessions did not improve my hearing further so I stopped after 18th session.
All frequencies are within normal decibel range except 1000hz which is at 30db. But overall I can hear now. My right ear is not as sharp as my left ear and there is a slight echo in my right ear(probably due to the gormet that has been placed in my ear). But I can hear with right ear and I no longer need to buy hearing aid. I can say that my hearing has recovered 90%. And I hoping that it improves further when doctor takes out the gormet from my ear.
I am not sure if I will ever get back the remaining 10% of my lost hearing. I am not even sure if the 90% is going to last. For all I know, it could happen again. I hope it does not. But as of now I am grateful to God that I have recovered.
Here is one : )
I was struck by SSHL just recently, late at night, 9th of January 2018.
I am a 27 year old otherwise healthy guy. All of a sudden I started hearing a buzzing sound in my right ear at around 11pm at night. I did not pay much attention it and decided to sleep it off. I woke up around 4 in the morning and I noticed that the buzzing sound has become much louder and that it is the only sound I could hear in my right ear.
I was perturbed. I did some quick research online. The symptoms were exactly that of SSHL. My jaw dropped when I read that it has to cure.
I rushed to an ENT specialist in the morning who told me that it was indeed SSHL. I had severe hearing loss. 70db! She prescribed prednisone tablets to be taken for 10 days. I went back home and decided to have a second opinion. In the evening I went to another ENT specialist and he told me I must get admitted in a hospital. I should be given large doses of contortionists through IV. I took his advice and got myself admitted in a hospital. I was given 1 gram of steroids per day for next 5 days along with vasodilators and antibiotics.
After 5 days, there was still no improvement whatsoever in my hearing. The doctor performed myringotomy and placed a gormet in my ear, so that I can put dexamethasone injection directly into the ear at home everyday, without having to go to hospital. He also gave me complamina retard and prednisone tabets. I took the medication and injection as directed by the doctor but it did not help. Even after 2 weeks , I was still deaf in my right ear. I had been reading articles all over the internet on SSHL during this period and almost every other article stated that if you don't notice improvement in 12-13 days, then most probably you wont ever.
Now it had been almost 2 weeks with no improvement, I was desperate. At first I was pissed that God did this to me. I was angry and depressed. I no longer cared about anything. Prior to SSHL I was very careful about the food that ate. I was health conscious. I used to work out and everything. But now I just didn't care. I ate whatever I felt like eating , whenever I felt like eating. I became more belligerent. I didn't want to talk to anyone. The world had become a prison and I just wanted to do my time and disappear into the oblivion.
Then I remembered a verse from Quran (yes I am Muslim)
".. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way." Quran [2-186]
Which means that Allah (God) answers prayer of WHOEVER calls him. Not a saint not someone pious or righteous but WHOEVER calls him. The only condition is that that person will also have to listen to God. ie obey him. So I broke down and I prayed to him. I prayed to him through out the day whenever I could. I repented and I said I will give up all my bad habits. I may not be able to attain the status of sainthood but I am going to try to be the best version of myself. I will try.
And then I realized that even in asking God for help I am being extremely arrogant. Arrogant because I put a condition on something I was supposed to do anyway. I am supposed to obey God irrespective of my circumstances. But instead I have put a condition, that I will obey only if he grants my wish. That is arrogance. So I repented and decided to obey him and give up my bad habits right then and there. If he cures me , great. If not, I still obey him because that is what I am supposed to do anyways. He gave me this gift of hearing, took it away. It was never mine in the first place. I did not do anything to earn any of his blessings.
On 15th day, I was going through articles, websites etc on SSHL just like i did every day. I read about HBOT(Hyperberic Oxygen Therapy) and decided to call my doctor. I asked him what does he think about Hyperberic Oxygen Therapy. He said, I could give it a try if I want to since there is no harm in it. So I contacted a private click which offers HBOT. I began therapy on 16th day.
After just 5 days, my puretone average went from 67db to 40db. I decided to carry on with the therapy. I began praying more often. Doctor was surprised looking at my audiogram because he too had given up hope. And he has handled over 100 SSHL cases. After 18 session, my hearing has improved to puretone average of 20db. The five sessions did not improve my hearing further so I stopped after 18th session.
All frequencies are within normal decibel range except 1000hz which is at 30db. But overall I can hear now. My right ear is not as sharp as my left ear and there is a slight echo in my right ear(probably due to the gormet that has been placed in my ear). But I can hear with right ear and I no longer need to buy hearing aid. I can say that my hearing has recovered 90%. And I hoping that it improves further when doctor takes out the gormet from my ear.
I am not sure if I will ever get back the remaining 10% of my lost hearing. I am not even sure if the 90% is going to last. For all I know, it could happen again. I hope it does not. But as of now I am grateful to God that I have recovered.
5 Comments
Hi everyone, would like to share my story on SHL. I am 29 years old, having perfect hearing all these while. In Feb 18, i suddenly feel ear fullness in my left ear. I thought it was a sign of a bad cold starting. So, I went to a normal GP to get it checked. They only prescribe me with antibiotics and ear drops. My condition didnt improve.
So I went to an ENT specialist and he put me on an audiometry test. Once he saw my results, he told me that my case is an emergency (moderate hearing loss with 50% loss) and I need to be admitted for steroids(dexamethosone) and antibiotics (injections 3 times a day for 3 days.
However, after the steroid injections for 3 days,there was no improvement on my hearing, so i was given oral steroids for a week to monitor my condition. During this time, tinnitus and feeling of fullness in the ear developed. I was frustrated and disturbed by the constant ringing sound. Sounds are annoying to me
That was when i chose to go for alternative treatment which is acupuncture. I went 3 times a week and this is my 3rd week of acupuncture. My tinnitus is gone and the feeling of ear fullness reduced.
Today am going to follow up ENT. Hope to see improvement in my hearing test results. The more aggresive approache sugggested by my ENT specialist is injection direct to the middle ear canal, but I am not convinced since it is not guaranteed 100% and i worry there would be side effects with steroids.
Please do share if you have similar experiences. It would truly help and will continue to be hopeful on full recovery.
So I went to an ENT specialist and he put me on an audiometry test. Once he saw my results, he told me that my case is an emergency (moderate hearing loss with 50% loss) and I need to be admitted for steroids(dexamethosone) and antibiotics (injections 3 times a day for 3 days.
However, after the steroid injections for 3 days,there was no improvement on my hearing, so i was given oral steroids for a week to monitor my condition. During this time, tinnitus and feeling of fullness in the ear developed. I was frustrated and disturbed by the constant ringing sound. Sounds are annoying to me
That was when i chose to go for alternative treatment which is acupuncture. I went 3 times a week and this is my 3rd week of acupuncture. My tinnitus is gone and the feeling of ear fullness reduced.
Today am going to follow up ENT. Hope to see improvement in my hearing test results. The more aggresive approache sugggested by my ENT specialist is injection direct to the middle ear canal, but I am not convinced since it is not guaranteed 100% and i worry there would be side effects with steroids.
Please do share if you have similar experiences. It would truly help and will continue to be hopeful on full recovery.
It's been 40 days, it is kind of late but you could give Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy a try. It worked for me. I took it on day 16. It is said that it is most effective when you undergo therapy within 15 days. But I have read that it helped a man recover 100% even though he started on day 36. Read my story, if you haven't.
I am trying to get an appointment for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Did your insurance cover the cost, or was it out of pocket?
@gkp3 insurance did not cover it. They would have covered it if I was given therapy by the hospital while i was admitted. But since I was not admitted in any hospital at the time... insurance did not cover it. Sorry about replying so late.. I did not get any notification about this thread. How are you now?
Thank you Arbazz for your post, it was tremendously helpful. I would credit you for saving my ears! If i had not seen your post I would never had considered Hyperbauric and I'd probably still have NO hearing whatsoever in my left hear. Going to write a lengthier description of my ordeal in hopes that it can help others who may encounter such an odd illness.
I was just diagnosed with SSHL yesterday. Music is a significant part of my life and the resulting sound in my right ear is utterly devastating. I started noticing an issue about 5 weeks ago and within a few days contacted my PCP and asked for an ENT referral. They told me that they wanted to see me first, which was a week later. It was bareable at the time but still bothersome. At the appointment they couldn't see any structural issues and I asked if they could refer me to the ENT. I was told to wait a few weeks and check back with them. In the coming weeks it got worse and I messaged them. They finally referred me out and the ENT appointment couldn't be made for another week. Little did I know time was of the essence. At my appointment I got the bad news and my ENT said there was nothing to be done. I called back a couple hours later and asked again that they TRY Prednisone. Although I'm now well outside the traditional window I'm praying I recover something. I'm not sure what I'm trying to convey here aside from be your own advocate. PCPs are undertrained for most specifics and for whatever reason they were reluctant to send me to a specialist. Tell everyone you know that if they have any hearing loss, go to Urgent Care immediately and if an ear infection is not identified demand an ENT referral.
Hello everyone! My name is Camille and I'm from the Philippines. I'm also a doctor, a general practitioner. 2 weeks ago I suffered from a sudden snhl.. I had an acute tonsillopharyngitis 2 weeks ago then followed by decreased hearing loss. At first I thought it was just an acute case of otitis media since the throat is connected to the ear so I wasnt at all bothered and thought it will just clear up since my atp is quickly resolving but after 2 days my hearing started to deteriorate (right ear) and that's when I started to worry, I was wondering why I wasnt feeling any ear pain just a blocked ear (otitis media is usually with ear pain). Went to see an ENT after 3 days so he can check if my tympanic membrane (eardrum) is intact.. and to check if it's just a middle ear infection. Ent checked my ear with my TMs intact.. he requested for me to have an audiometry which revealed profound hearing loss. He started me up on methylprednisone 16mg 2x a day for 1week and referred me to a neuro-otologist.. had a repeat audiometry after 3 days of steroids but still with profound hearing loss but had some slight improvement. I went to consult the neuro-otologist on the last day of my steroids. She confirmed I had a sudden snhl probably secondary to viral infection.. and she continued my methylprednisone still at 16mg but to be taken 3 times a for 5 days and advised me to stimulate my affected ear by listening to music. I'm on my last day of steroids and will be tapering off by tomorrow.. My hearing also improved and is recovering. She said I have a high chance of regaining my normal hearing since I'm still young (29 yrs old) and sought treatment right away. Just wanted to share my experience and I hope it will enlighten everyone. My neuro-otologist said maximum recovery can be as long as 6months.. so don't lose hope! I'm praying for everyone here! God bless you all!
You can also do sound therapy while recovering. It's called constraint induced sound therapy wherein you plug your good ear and stimulate music in the affected ear. This helps by preventing maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization and it helps increase blood flow to your affected ear therefore increasing oxygenation to your damaged cochlea. My neuro-otologist also advised me to do this.. we need to help our affected ear by using this stimulation.
You can also do sound therapy while recovering. It's called constraint induced sound therapy wherein you plug your good ear and stimulate music in the affected ear. This helps by preventing maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization and it helps increase blood flow to your affected ear therefore increasing oxygenation to your damaged cochlea. My neuro-otologist also advised me to do this.. we need to help our affected ear by using this stimulation.
Hello everyone! My name is Camille and I'm from the Philippines. I'm also a doctor, a general practitioner. 2 weeks ago I suffered from a sudden snhl.. I had an acute tonsillopharyngitis 2 weeks ago then followed by decreased hearing loss. At first I thought it was just an acute case of otitis media since the throat is connected to the ear so I wasnt at all bothered and thought it will just clear up since my atp is quickly resolving but after 2 days my hearing started to deteriorate (right ear) and that's when I started to worry, I was wondering why I wasnt feeling any ear pain just a blocked ear (otitis media is usually with ear pain). Went to see an ENT after 3 days so he can check if my tympanic membrane (eardrum) is intact.. and to check if it's just a middle ear infection. Ent checked my ear with my TMs intact.. he requested for me to have an audiometry which revealed profound hearing loss. He started me up on methylprednisone 16mg 2x a day for 1week and referred me to a neuro-otologist.. had a repeat audiometry after 3 days of steroids but still with profound hearing loss but had some slight improvement. I went to consult the neuro-otologist on the last day of my steroids. She confirmed I had a sudden snhl probably secondary to viral infection.. and she continued my methylprednisone still at 16mg but to be taken 3 times a for 5 days and advised me to stimulate my affected ear by listening to music. I'm on my last day of steroids and will be tapering off by tomorrow.. My hearing also improved and is recovering. She said I have a high chance of regaining my normal hearing since I'm still young (29 yrs old) and sought treatment right away. Just wanted to share my experience and I hope it will enlighten everyone. My neuro-otologist said maximum recovery can be as long as 6months.. so don't lose hope! I'm praying for everyone here! God bless you all!
You can also do sound therapy while recovering. It's called constraint induced sound therapy wherein you plug your good ear and stimulate music in the affected ear. This helps by preventing maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization and it helps increase blood flow to your affected ear therefore increasing oxygenation to your damaged cochlea. My neuro-otologist also advised me to do this.. we need to help our affected ear by using this stimulation.
You can also do sound therapy while recovering. It's called constraint induced sound therapy wherein you plug your good ear and stimulate music in the affected ear. This helps by preventing maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization and it helps increase blood flow to your affected ear therefore increasing oxygenation to your damaged cochlea. My neuro-otologist also advised me to do this.. we need to help our affected ear by using this stimulation.
I know this is an old thread but I came across it in a moment of panic. On Monday night, I was watching tv when I turned the volume up so high my boyfriend teased what am I going deaf? I then realized I was having trouble hearing in my right ear. I decided to sleep on it but no improvement in the morning. I went to my PCP who referred me to an ENT. I didn't have a very good experience, he was pretty abrupt and told me most people don't recover and I won't ever hear again from that ear and then walked me down the hall to an auditory test. Results showed that I had "mild" hearing loss ranging from 30-45 db in my right ear. He gave me about 1 minute to decide what to do and I opted for the intratempanic steroid injection. I'm having a really hard time dealing with this and feel quite debilitated. I am curious by when I should (if I do) experience any improvement in the hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear fullness? I should also mention I am only 22 so this is a rather embarrassing problem.
I hope by now you have begun to recover some hearing. It's good that you went to your ENT so quickly. The ringing noise you hear when your son cries may be the beginning of the return of your hearing. I heard some very uncomfortable sounds in the beginning when my hearing started to come back. Do not put cotton in your ear to try to block the noise---let your brain hear those sounds. As your brain adjusts to the loss of hearing in that ear, you can sometimes hear odd noises. You are hearing beeping noises---I heard our church choir and birds chirping a few days after I lost my hearing in one ear. I also had severe tinnitus, hearing what sounded like bells clanging for months. I received a total of 3 shots in my ears, plus took oral steroids. I had a total loss of hearing in my right ear, but now have about 35% of my hearing back. You may recover much more than that, so don't give up hope or get discouraged. I didn't sleep on my ear for several months but I don't think it made any difference. Just go about your normal activities. I rested as much as I could. I don't believe gravity plays any part in the shots. Best wishes for complete return of your hearing.
I, too, lost all hearing in my right ear 1-1/2 years ago. After oral steroids and 3 shots in my ear, three weeks later I regained about 35% of my hearing but it is extremely distorted. Of that 35% that I can hear, only about 40% is distinguisable sound. I also lost all my balance and had no feeling on the right side of my face. I was overwhelmed by noise and didn't even want to leave the house after it happened. Balance has returned with some physical therapy and the feeling has returned. I have a hearing aid now even though I don't like the way my ear picks up sound due to the distortion but I try to embrace whatever I can hear in that ear. I thought I'd never recover from this but you do---your body and brain adjust and now I hardly even notice that anything is different. It took about a year to heal. I was 59 years old at the time and very healthy.
I posted on this forum about 6 years ago regarding SSHL. It occurred when I was 32. I was completely deaf in my left ear. A few people have contacted me asking for an update, so I thought I'd post again.
I was completely devastated when my hearing loss occurred and felt truly debilitated. I was overwhelmed by ambient noise everywhere I went and had difficulty with just about every interaction outside my house. I had a lot of trouble at work and worried about my career. I saw several ENT's and was told there was no hope of regaining any hearing.
I took prednisone for 5 weeks and got intratympanic injections. Within the first few months, I had regained 35% of my hearing. I haven't had a hearing test in years, but the important thing is that the hearing loss really does not affect me much now. Over time my body started to compensate and I don't notice it much unless I'm in a loud environment. Socially, it isn't really an issue except when someone tries to whisper in my left ear, or talking with a person on my left in a loud restaurant. I used a hearing aid for about a year, but eventually stopped because I found it uncomfortable.
Sudden hearing loss is initially devastating and debilitating and is a truly life changing event. But you *can* recover some hearing. And even if you don't, things will get better! :-)
I was completely devastated when my hearing loss occurred and felt truly debilitated. I was overwhelmed by ambient noise everywhere I went and had difficulty with just about every interaction outside my house. I had a lot of trouble at work and worried about my career. I saw several ENT's and was told there was no hope of regaining any hearing.
I took prednisone for 5 weeks and got intratympanic injections. Within the first few months, I had regained 35% of my hearing. I haven't had a hearing test in years, but the important thing is that the hearing loss really does not affect me much now. Over time my body started to compensate and I don't notice it much unless I'm in a loud environment. Socially, it isn't really an issue except when someone tries to whisper in my left ear, or talking with a person on my left in a loud restaurant. I used a hearing aid for about a year, but eventually stopped because I found it uncomfortable.
Sudden hearing loss is initially devastating and debilitating and is a truly life changing event. But you *can* recover some hearing. And even if you don't, things will get better! :-)
2 Comments
Do you have tinnutus as well?
Yes, always. It used to sound like clanging bells when I first lost my hearing but now is more like a constant buzzing noise.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with SSHL this past Tuesday. I suddenly lost my hearing in my right ear on Saturday night. I am a healthy 55 year old male, never had any hearing issues. In fact my hearing tests have always shown I have amazing hearing for someone my age, flat frequency response across the spectrum.
I was walking down the street with my wife when I heard a ringing in my right ear, I thought nothing of it, we all get that from time to time. But it did not go away and I soon noticed I was not hearing out of that ear, and the skin around my ear felt numb.
I thought maybe I had a bad case of wax buildup so when I got home I used the drops and flushed. No change. Next day I went to Urgent Care and the doctor there said I needed to go see an ENT ASAP. Being a holiday weekend I had to wait until Tuesday.
I saw the ENT and they tested me and my hearing is down by 30db in my right ear. My left ear tested like I was 25 years old.
So they have started me on Prednisone and Valtrex, but so far other than a change in the frequency of the ringing in my ear to a steady tone instead of warbling I have not noticed any improvement in my hearing.
It is very upsetting. I can't listen to music as it all turns to distortion, and music is a huge part of my life. I also am a mountain biker, but my balance seems off so I am not sure If I can ride anymore. This has changed everything for me and I am trying to deal with it. People at work think they are helping if they whisper like they might hurt my ear if they talk loud, but it only makes it harder for me.
The thought of living my life this way is very scary to me, and not being able to enjoy music again just devastating.
I am praying the meds will kick in and my hearing returns, but even then I know I will live in fear it could happen again.
I was diagnosed with SSHL this past Tuesday. I suddenly lost my hearing in my right ear on Saturday night. I am a healthy 55 year old male, never had any hearing issues. In fact my hearing tests have always shown I have amazing hearing for someone my age, flat frequency response across the spectrum.
I was walking down the street with my wife when I heard a ringing in my right ear, I thought nothing of it, we all get that from time to time. But it did not go away and I soon noticed I was not hearing out of that ear, and the skin around my ear felt numb.
I thought maybe I had a bad case of wax buildup so when I got home I used the drops and flushed. No change. Next day I went to Urgent Care and the doctor there said I needed to go see an ENT ASAP. Being a holiday weekend I had to wait until Tuesday.
I saw the ENT and they tested me and my hearing is down by 30db in my right ear. My left ear tested like I was 25 years old.
So they have started me on Prednisone and Valtrex, but so far other than a change in the frequency of the ringing in my ear to a steady tone instead of warbling I have not noticed any improvement in my hearing.
It is very upsetting. I can't listen to music as it all turns to distortion, and music is a huge part of my life. I also am a mountain biker, but my balance seems off so I am not sure If I can ride anymore. This has changed everything for me and I am trying to deal with it. People at work think they are helping if they whisper like they might hurt my ear if they talk loud, but it only makes it harder for me.
The thought of living my life this way is very scary to me, and not being able to enjoy music again just devastating.
I am praying the meds will kick in and my hearing returns, but even then I know I will live in fear it could happen again.
1 Comments
i just got diagnosed this week. Monday. how are you doing? I'm 38 and have severe loss in my left. just started steroids. because my loss is severe doctors aren't optimistic. I am coming to terms with my hearing loss, but am now more focused on the tinnitus. From what I've read, it seems to faded for most, but never goes away. Anyway, after reading your post I figured I would write back as we are in the same boat... seemingly. Hope you are doing well. how are you doing?
Hi Randy. I don't really have any valuable input. I just wanted to say hang in there. Perhaps a second injection will prove to be the one that makes it all better. For me, after my first injection, things got better. Then before the second injection, I was at around 80 % healed. The second injection got me back to 100%. Good thoughts your way.
Hi Yuki. I am very sorry I am just now responding to your message. I too took Ginkgo Biloba when I was going through SSHL. I took 240 mg per day. Since my hearing came back, I have not taken it as regularly. The ringing left and sometimes I just forget to take it. Please email me with any other questions!
1 Comments
I just went to see the doctor today. He stated that my hearing improved abit but not significant. I'm seeing the ENT doctor again on next Friday ;) going to start on Ginkgo tomorrow too. I'm starting with 120mg a day to try first. Yeah hope mine will recover soon !! ;)
Anyone who needs to discuss their experience with SSHL please feel free to email me. I am three years out was a 31 when it occured, hearing has not returned. But everything else will, and you might gain some positives from the experience. As scary as it is, the biggest healer is time. Tinnitus will fade, balance will return, and normal will happen. ***@****
1 Comments
thank you for your post. I was just diagnosed with SSHL on Monday. Mentally dealing with the hearing loss is bad, but the tinnitus that is driving me crazy. How long did it take for the tinnitus to fade?
Hey everyone. I'm 21 years old from Singapore. On 14th April 2016, I was at work when I couldn't hear anything from my right ear all of a sudden. At first, I thought it was just a blockage and I went to see the GP doctor the next day. He gave me antibiotics and refer me to see a ENT specialist in a month time. But after a few days when my ear didn't improve, I went to book a slot to see the specialist on the spot. I was diagnosed with SSHL and I broke down in front of the specialist immediately.
I'm currently on oral steroids for 2 weeks. Went for MRI scan and blood tests. From what I been reading, gingko and zinc seems to help with SSHL. May I know the dosage that you guys take?
You guys gave me a lot of motivation after I found out about it. Thank you so much.
I'm currently on oral steroids for 2 weeks. Went for MRI scan and blood tests. From what I been reading, gingko and zinc seems to help with SSHL. May I know the dosage that you guys take?
You guys gave me a lot of motivation after I found out about it. Thank you so much.
1 Comments
I like you guys have been dealing with a deaf ear since a virus 6 weeks ago. Had the steroid shots and slight improvement but now it is Noisey without understanding the noise. Actually it was better before the injections. That said is there a stein for people who have tried the wireless AIDS vs. the Baha? I love music festivals and concerts and cannot find any info on which would be better for music or neither would be work? Any input would be great
Hi. I'm a 26 year old woman, who experienced severe sensory-neural hearing loss about a year ago. I got home from work around 6 and heard a faint ringing, in the background, but couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from. I checked everything and everywhere; microwave, gas stove, cell phone, TV, stereo - I just could not locate the sound. Maybe 10 minutes later my right ear went blank. My head got super heavy and congested, equilibrium thrown off to the point of falling over if I looked up or down, and my tinnitus set in at an excruciating level. After hoping it was just something that would fix itself, I tried to tough it out, but I couldn't fall asleep, and it was scaring me enough that I had my dad drive my to the ER around 1:30 in the early morning. The doctor did his ear checks and found nothing blocking or damaged so he prescribed me a nasal spray to clear out my sinuses, which I used for I believe 5 days. Nothing had changed by that point, so I saw my normal physician, who then referred me to an Audiologist. I called and made the soonest appointment they had. I called the day of my appointment to confirm my time and with a calendar glitch, my appointment wasn't for a month. This had been around 3 weeks since my visit to the ER, and I knew the importance of getting this done in a time frame, so I pushed for an opening and got one, but 50 miles away. And am I glad I did, after a few discouraging tears with my hearing test, I was found to have profound hearing loss, and she said it was a good thing I came when I did and if I could wait a few hours, there would be and ENT doctor available to see me. The doctor did her tests, sent me for an MRI, and blood test to rule out deficiencies and tumors and also prescribed me a high dose of steroids for the next 3 weeks. All tests came back normal, and after the 3 weeks, I went back for my hearing test. It had then improved a smidgen, to moderate to sever hearing loss. My tinnitus by then was not improved, but something I was getting more used to. I now know the things that make it worse; Ibuprofen, alcohol, caffeine. But let's be real. I am 26. I love wine, and live in the city where Starbucks was founded, so these things happen and I suffer through it. I went in for my a little over a year hearing test update and all things tested the same. If I could advise anyone, it's be proactive early on. I was embarrassed by this, and really didn't do anything to help myself except cut out all aggravators, not listen to music or TV, sit in absolute silence with ear plugs and not see anyone for nearly 4 months. I was terrified of it getting worse or spreading to my other ear, all irrational, but I wish I had of asked more questions and done more things to help myself come to peace earlier on. Now that I have found myself more at peace with this, I'm able to ask questions, maybe a little too late but am finally able to grieve my right ear, but be thankful for my left and treat it like my fragile child. Tinnitus is still front and forward in my life, but, it is what it is. All that being said, supplements may not do what you want them to, but they can give you hope; which is really what you need. If it's early on, less than a month, do what you can and see more than one person. The sooner the better. Natural path, physician, whoever you can, just do what you can. Keep it positivity and try not to overload on things that may hurt your body more than help.
Hi again. I just wanted to give you all an update. I have encouraging news and I know for many of you who have just found out that you may have this, you are looking for anything. I plan on writing down this entire experience because it has been the scariest thing I've ever dealt with in with life. And the scariest part for me was not the things I could not hear, but rather the continuous sounds going off in my head at a volume 10. It is maddening. I will say that those sounds DID subside after about a week. Please hang in there.
My encouraging news: After being on oral steroids for a week, I had my first steroid injection into the Cochlea. THAT NIGHT something opened up for me. I'm not suggesting it will work so fast for you, but SOMETHING happened. Whereas before I could not hear my finger scratch the inside of my ear, that night I scratched the inside and herd it ever so slightly. The next morning I actually had a telephone conversation using my infected ear. I would say I went from zero percent hearing to maybe 20 percent now.
Again, I will record all of this for the benefit of anyone going through it. My words of advice, get to an ENT as soon as possible! The sooner you start treatment the greater your chances!
My encouraging news: After being on oral steroids for a week, I had my first steroid injection into the Cochlea. THAT NIGHT something opened up for me. I'm not suggesting it will work so fast for you, but SOMETHING happened. Whereas before I could not hear my finger scratch the inside of my ear, that night I scratched the inside and herd it ever so slightly. The next morning I actually had a telephone conversation using my infected ear. I would say I went from zero percent hearing to maybe 20 percent now.
Again, I will record all of this for the benefit of anyone going through it. My words of advice, get to an ENT as soon as possible! The sooner you start treatment the greater your chances!
3 Comments
I wanted to leave yet another update. Today is March 24, 2016. It was literally three weeks ago today that I first noticed something not right with my hearing. After taking the steroids (2 more days of oral to go) and 2 injections, I can happily say my hearing is back to normal. You are all on my heart and I pray for those who are still going through this. I pray for a speedy recovery.
This just happened to me last week. I am on day 8 of prednisone. My question is did your hearing get better every day or did it some get better after the injections right away?
Also did the tinnitus also go away?
Hi. My name is George. I'm a 48 y/o man from Houston. My story with SSHL began around last Thursday (3/3/16) or Friday (3/4/16) of last week. Ironically, my 7 year old son was born with EVA and is deaf in his left ear. His has no chance or recovery due to the fact that he was born absent an auditory nerve. He has been my hero through all of this. I remember late last week that my hearing was being compromised. It wasn't as if it just all went out. I thought I had a cold or something minor. By the weekend it was bothering me enough to google, "busted ear drum". By Monday of this week I made an appointment with an ENT from Tuesday morning. I remember being loosey-goosey in the waiting room as I did not believe I had anything majorly wrong with me. I was telling the doctor about my weekend and all and he checks my left ear and says, "All clear". I remember a wave of anxiety suddenly run from my head to my toes. It was then that I knew something was really wrong. They took me in the back to go visit the Audiologist. She measured me for fluid in my ears. I felt better thinking that perhaps this is the issue. This was not the issue. I returned to the doctor after the hearing test and he told me about SSHL and about a virus of the Cochlea. I was heading in to work that day but could not make it in from the shear anxiety I felt. I started the steroids immediately. (20 mg X3) every morning. Today is day 4 of being on steroids. As I am reading y'alls comments I can certainly empathize with each and every one of you. I think the thing that helps me is knowing that Cochlear implants are a possibility. And if its not, please do not tell me this, I'd rather live in an ignorance is bliss moment right now :)
So, for me it bothers me the least when I put my mind on other things. The other day I was involved in something with my job and I was concentrating deeply for about 2 hours. And I realized when I finished that I hadn't thought about the hearing loss one time. Keep your mind occupied. I feel like gravity MAY have something to do with this. For example, my best times are first thing when I wake up in the morning. I almost get excited because I don't hear the flowing water noise, I don't hear ringing, I don't hear weird high-pitched random tones. But I still cannot hear out of it. Everything else comes back after about 10 minutes of being up and vertical. Anyone else notice this? My least favorite times are going to sleep at night. When I lay my head on the pillow, I had nothing to do but lay there and listen to the odd sounds going off in my head. OK this will be hard to explain but I'll give it a try. Remember when you were a kid and you started to fall asleep? Do you remember those few moments of dozing off and you might hear a sound in your head, (hard to describe the sound) like an instant of a rushing noise before you fell asleep? Well, I feel like right as I'm about to fall asleep that same noise is now amplified in my ear. It's like they are connected or something. Anyhow, my prayers for everyone hear. Please pray that God heals my little boy one day. Thank you.
So, for me it bothers me the least when I put my mind on other things. The other day I was involved in something with my job and I was concentrating deeply for about 2 hours. And I realized when I finished that I hadn't thought about the hearing loss one time. Keep your mind occupied. I feel like gravity MAY have something to do with this. For example, my best times are first thing when I wake up in the morning. I almost get excited because I don't hear the flowing water noise, I don't hear ringing, I don't hear weird high-pitched random tones. But I still cannot hear out of it. Everything else comes back after about 10 minutes of being up and vertical. Anyone else notice this? My least favorite times are going to sleep at night. When I lay my head on the pillow, I had nothing to do but lay there and listen to the odd sounds going off in my head. OK this will be hard to explain but I'll give it a try. Remember when you were a kid and you started to fall asleep? Do you remember those few moments of dozing off and you might hear a sound in your head, (hard to describe the sound) like an instant of a rushing noise before you fell asleep? Well, I feel like right as I'm about to fall asleep that same noise is now amplified in my ear. It's like they are connected or something. Anyhow, my prayers for everyone hear. Please pray that God heals my little boy one day. Thank you.
My story... went to bed on April 10th 2015 fine and health. i am 30 years old and male, woke up with very severe vertigo, blocked right ear, couldn't hear anything. I knew something was not right and thought about calling my ent but it was the weekend so I went to a NP at a walgreens clinic. I told her i never had any ear problems my whole life or infections. She looked at my ear and said it was an infection and gave me a zpac even though I told her all my symptoms. then i took the medicationa didn't help for 4 days and then i called my GP who said it was crystals in my ear and to do some maneuvers, didn't help so then i went to emergency room about a week after it happended and they said to call my ent immediately. So 10 days after onset and after misdiagnosed several times i finally go into the ent who diagnosed it is ssnhl and gave me heavy steroids for 2 weeks and made me get an mri before i could get injections. So i came back after the steroids with a 10 dcb increase which was goood and they did the injections about 3 weeks after onset. Injections didn't help so he then recommended cochlear implant which is ridiculous since i still have full hearing in my other ear. I then went to a different ENT because i thought he was crazy for recommending a cochlear implant. The other ent was much better and did 2 more injections over 2 weeks with no improvement. So now 9 months later i went for another screening and no improvement. I now have moderate hearing loss 45 - 55 dcb in my right ear with no speech recognition. The vertigo subsided after 2 weeks after initial onset because your brain copes and stops taking signals from the bad ear. Worst part is tinnitus, i can live with hearing loss because i have a good ear, but tinnitus is horrible. Going to look into getting a hearing aid in a few weeks that will have a tinnitus masker. Will be $1200 USD, but well worth it if it masks the tinnitus. Good luck to you all, It's definately life changing for the bad and good. Helps put things into perspective and to not sweat the little things in life like work. Really not sure if anything would have helped even if i would have go into the doctor right away because of the intense vertigo and profound hearing loss, but don't ever trust a Nurse or GP with ear nose or throat problems, lesson learned, would have been better off just googling my symptons and going from there. Walgreens NP what a joke.
I had this happen7 yrs. ago, saw Head of Emory Ent within the week, had profound hearing loss in left ear. Had steroid TM injections, MRI with no etiology found. No other symptoms other than the severe noises in the head, ringing, clicking, zapping, you name it, plus feeling of having a vacuum in my head sucking air in. I never recovered one bit of hearing but after about a year, your body does adjust to the tinnitus and you can function relatively normal. Being in a crowd and trying to hold a conversation is very difficult and if someone calls your name or you don't know where your cell phone is and it rings, you're like a deer in the headlights. You cannot distinguish where the sound is coming from. Also, sitting at a table with people on both sides of you means you may as well tell
the person on your "bad side" that you are deaf in that ear. After 7 yrs. I catch myself doing what I swore I would never do and that is just smile and nod, pretending you know what is being said but short of wearing a sign around your neck, sometimes I just do the easiest, briefest encounter I can get by with. These issues do tend to make you a little anti-social but you just adapt to your surroundings as best you can. I still play the piano at church but avoid concerts or events with very loud noises or music to try to protect my remaining good ear. I first prayed to get my hearing back but my prayer now is that I don't lose my other ear!
the person on your "bad side" that you are deaf in that ear. After 7 yrs. I catch myself doing what I swore I would never do and that is just smile and nod, pretending you know what is being said but short of wearing a sign around your neck, sometimes I just do the easiest, briefest encounter I can get by with. These issues do tend to make you a little anti-social but you just adapt to your surroundings as best you can. I still play the piano at church but avoid concerts or events with very loud noises or music to try to protect my remaining good ear. I first prayed to get my hearing back but my prayer now is that I don't lose my other ear!
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