SSHL recovery timeframe

[brendajj9]

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?

[emma0916]

Hi all,

I was posting here for awhile when I first had my severe SSHL (right ear) back in November 2013. I wanted to post an update. At the time, I had what seems to be the standard treatment - prednisone orally, and intratympanic dexamethasone injections 3x weekly for a month. I also had severe vertigo and pretty intense tinnitus.
As of right now, I have had no recovery of hearing. However, the vertigo is almost 100% gone, and the tinnitus has faded to a point where it's almost impossible to notice. Honestly, I would rather have the hearing loss than the vertigo and tinnitus. As difficult as those first weeks were, I found it surprisingly easy to adjust to having hearing in just one ear, once the dizziness and constant ringing faded away. I don't even think about it anymore. Once I had tried all treatment options and nothing had worked, I found that acceptance was the most powerful tool for me. It felt like a huge relief to stop obsessively trying to monitor my hearing and being constantly frustrated and disappointed. To just say, "okay, I'm deaf in one ear now. If my hearing comes back, great. But if not, fine". Since getting to that point mentally, I feel I've been happy and thriving again, despite the hearing loss. I realize that may not be helpful for a lot of people, but it was extremely helpful for me, so I wanted to share that.

Also maybe worth mentioning - I was prescribed a CROS hearing aid, which I elected not to get, because of the cost. So I'm just doing my best with one ear. However, I would NOT be doing so well if it weren't for my regular chiropractic adjustments. When you are constantly twisting your neck in the same direction to hear things, it gets really messed up. Hyper-extended on one side and pinched on the other. I saw my chiro twice a week for the first few months and now I see her about every two or three weeks. I cannot recommend this enough!!

I hope this was helpful for someone!

Emma

[Meltronic]

Thanks for the update Emma, it's comforting to know you're dealing with things and life has returned to normal for you. I can only hope that I too can get to the same point mentally. It currently feels like my world has collapsed.

[ChachiChachi]

Hello, can you please tell me the amounts of vitamins you took so I can do the same for my hearing loss. Thanks in advance.

[NancyHemi]

6 weeks now and I've gained some hearing back. I can hear words on the phone instead of "tinney sounds" I did oral steroids and one shot.  The day I had the shot I felt hopeful and that I could hear better, but it's the same now, 1 week later.  I have another scheduled in one and a half weeks.   From reading here I'm getting used to the idea of poor hearing.  I guess I really need to protect what I have left in my left "good" ear.  Thank you all for your input.

[Meltronic]

How many weeks in did you start to see the improvement? How bad was your loss? Was it profound?

[BoydYour]

Greetings.
My SSHL was first thought to be barotrauma as it began while snorkelling but tests seem to have ruled it out. It may have been triggered by the pressure but with no real equalising problems and no pain or vertigo it seems barotrauma is not the problem. I have the roaring sound accompanied by a high pitch ringing in my right ear. The most annoying thing is the bell tones. Every 10-20 min I get a dingggggggggggg noise and sometimes 3 short dings in a row. Like I need reminding that my ear is unable to hear anything else! I am told none of these noises actually come from the ear but are created by the brain as a result of the loss of input from the ear. I think it shows just how screwed up my grey matter really is! I saw an ENT within a few days of my "episode" after getting my ears cleaned out. I have had wax cause a very similar feeling but at least I had some hearing.
I'm on the usual steroid treatment but there was suggestion of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy which is suppose to improve healing of the thing that has caused the problem. Problem is no one seems to know what the "thing"is.
My main concern apart from the obvious is the implications for employment and my love of the ocean. My mind has been put to some rest after reading the above comments that 2 weeks out from the start I may still gain at least something. I'm keeping my chin up by the realisation that I am not going to die from it (unless I don't hear that bus coming from the right) and the other ear is doing okay. Well there go the bells again. Must be time for bed or something. Shame it can't remind me to put the bin out on Mondays.

[scoopyou]

I went to bed on Dec.16th 2014 and woke up the next morning with no symptoms of any kind that anything was wrong. Then I turned on the TV and heard nothing. When the volume reached 45 and still no sound was heard, I knew I had a serious issue. My right ear had no hearing at all and my left ear has always been an issue with only 15% hearing in it. Fortunately I grabbed the hearing aid I had for the left ear and was able to hear albeit not great. I saw and ENT that day who told me after many tests that I had SSHL and there was very little chance the hearing would return. I want to stress how important it is to get to an ENT immediately if you have this issue. After 3 days of no treatment, the odds go way down of any hearing returning. I was given prednisone pills that day and began 3 weeks of shots thru the ear drum with Dexamethasone. I had an MRI of the brain and ear canal which showed  no tumors and no infection or stroke. If you lose over 30 decibels, your chance of hearing again are slim. Don't give up hope as people have gone two years before their hearing returned per my ENT.  I would be thrilled if it returned in a year or even two.  So far I have had very little improvement at 3.5 months. For those of you like me, who have poor hearing in the remaining ear the best option is a Cochlear implant in the silent ear. We are not alone with SSHL.  
Scoop

[artie65]

have you recover from your sshl ?