quick hearing loss

[sue1986]

one day i heard a hi pitch sound like a fax machine for like 3 hours and the next thing i couldn't hear anything its been like this for 5 days.  i saw my regular doc who gave me a steroid and antibiotic and is sending me to a specialist but not till next week.  can you give me any suggestion.
should i try to get in to see the specialist sooner?

[jhon79]

For all you of out there diagnosied with SNHL . Thought of posting my story ...
Diagnoised with sudden hearing loss around April ..with no impovemnt in test results ..initially ..but after 6 months or so .. my results were almost close to normal ...
Being thru a lot of frustration with the Docs .. and carried out my own .. treatment plan .After all this i am writing this to let ppl know there is some hope out there ..when you do combination therapy one therapy will not work ..atleast in my case .

   Here is wot i did ... :
   1. Was able to take steriods within 3 days of onset symptoms .
   2. Presidisone + Ear Injections ....==== Did not help or see any imporvement for 1st month
    3. Then i started heavily on the Vitamins (B12) + Magnesium + Gingko + Antioxidant .. for 3-5 months continous .. Gingko showed great results atleast intially
   4. At last out of much frustation i have used Cinnazarine (anti histamine) for tinnitus .. this really helped my tinittus is almost softer now.

All in all my if you dont see a response in 1-2 months dont worry stick to you guts and follow your plan . **Only Combination Therapy Works **

[ShirleyH419]

Did your hearing come back at all?  Mine was exactly the same as yours.  High pitched squeal then no hearing.  It has been a week and the squeal is still there.  Already tired of this.  

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Strokes can also intere with language perception/discrimination IE: temporal lobe

[Nancy T]

I stand corrected! Actually, in fact, my otoneurologist suggested an inner-ear stroke as the cause of my sudden hearing loss, and it seemed to be the most plausible theory.

I guess I was thinking of something like a brainstem stroke, you know, where you can't talk, become clumsy and dizzy, etc.

Thanks for the correction, W/a/J.

Nancy T.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Oh yes a stroke can cause a sudden hearing loss....  among a lot of other things.

Aud.

[Nancy T]

Sudden hearing loss should be considered a medical emergency or at least a very urgent situation. It should be evaluated by a specialist (neuro-otologist or neurotologist, alternate spellings; or an otologist, these are ENTs with extra trainign in the inner ear) within 24 to 48 hours if possible.

A high dose of prednisone (starting at 60 mg/day) is usually prescribed and sometimes other treatments depending on the situation.

Getting an MRI is necessary if the cause of a sudden hearing loss isn't found, but the MRI itself is not urgent (other things can be done first). I don't think stroke causes sudden hearing loss.

Bottom line--see an INNER EAR SPECIALIST as soon as possible and follow their guidance.

Best of luck,
Nancy T.

[patty2483]

Had similar situation. Started Sat. Getting worse. Went to GP, sent to ENT. I couldn't wait til next week as ENT wanted. Got in somewhere else.  Thinks it may be Meniere's Disease. If not better in 1 week, will do MRI to make sure it isn't Acoustic Neuroma (benign tumor), MS, or something more serious.  I say, better to find out as soon as possible what you are dealing with.  What if it is a stroke or something that needs immediate attention?