I have to share my recent experience with you guys in hopes to spare you irreparable hearing loss. Two weeks ago this Sunday, I was about to fall asleep when a high pitched noise suddenly came into my left ear several times. After the third sound, it felt like my ear was getting full (like when you swim and water fills your canal), and the sounds coming into my ear were muffled- all frequencies, not just high frequencies. I have some high frequency hearing loss due to the dental drill frequency on my left side, so high frequency wouldn't,to have got my attention, but all hearing was suppressed. As it's allergy season around here, I thought well congestions is settling in, and here goes a round of antibiotics with a visit to my ENT. Monday morning, I was totally tone deaf and could barely make out any sounds. I called my ENT office, and they could see me Thursday. I took the appointment, and tried to make it. By Tuesday I was in a little pain, slight pressure feeling, so I went to the local Medac, staffed by ER physicians. He checked me out, and said I had congestion and fluid 'he thought' in my left ear, secondary to sinusitis. This even though palpating of my sinuses were negative,and only one ear was affected- the right ear was perfect. Also, I told him it sounded like glass was lightly tinkling in the ear- another weird sound I had never experienced even with all the ear problems I have had secondary to surfers ear and sinusitis. I listened to him, got an an antibiotic, and a decongestant. Wednesday was no better, and various sounds were emanating spontaneously from my left ear. When's certain frequencies were "heard", it sounded like a blown speaker in my left ear.
Thursday I kept my ENT appt, and expecting him to say yep, stay with the regimen the ER physician set out, didn't think of it as anything more than a formality. He was a little more concerned, and after ordering and looking at a couple of tests, diagnosed me with idiopathic spontaneous hearing loss, also known as sensorineural hearing loss.
Keys points:
With this, sooner treatment = better outcome usually. 48 hours is the best for treatment, 14 days is pushing it, and after that, good luck- you're probably deaf for life!
Treatment is with large dose ages of steroids to shrink the swelling around the 8th cranial nerve.
Probably a virus, but medicines and tumors can also cause this.
Decongestants ARE contraindicated, as is lots of caffeine and alcohol should be limited, if taken at all.
My hearing has come back a lot, but I don't think it's there all the way yet - a hearing test on Monday will give me a percentage. Last weekend, I could hear NOTHING with my left ear next to my Magico S5 speaker at a moderate volume! Right now, I am enjoying music in my normal seating position, and music sounds great, let me tell you. You don't realize how much you love music- not good audio, but MUSIC, until you can hear it out of only 1 ear.
2% of those who get this lose hearing in both ears simultaneously (forever.) If vestibular changes occur with the hearing loss, the loss is usually permanent and progressive. Luckily for me, my hearing is coming back, and my ENT feels it will come back all the way to pre viral attack. Probably the same virus that causes Bell's Palsy, but because the 8th nerve goes through a tiny foramen thru the skull, the swelling of the damaged nerve causes more irreparable damage.
Had to share this with you all, and hopefully you'll never have to deal with it. If you do, get immediate care, and hopefully the loss of hearing won't be permanent.
Happy Listening! I'm one happy fellow right now.
Thursday I kept my ENT appt, and expecting him to say yep, stay with the regimen the ER physician set out, didn't think of it as anything more than a formality. He was a little more concerned, and after ordering and looking at a couple of tests, diagnosed me with idiopathic spontaneous hearing loss, also known as sensorineural hearing loss.
Keys points:
With this, sooner treatment = better outcome usually. 48 hours is the best for treatment, 14 days is pushing it, and after that, good luck- you're probably deaf for life!
Treatment is with large dose ages of steroids to shrink the swelling around the 8th cranial nerve.
Probably a virus, but medicines and tumors can also cause this.
Decongestants ARE contraindicated, as is lots of caffeine and alcohol should be limited, if taken at all.
My hearing has come back a lot, but I don't think it's there all the way yet - a hearing test on Monday will give me a percentage. Last weekend, I could hear NOTHING with my left ear next to my Magico S5 speaker at a moderate volume! Right now, I am enjoying music in my normal seating position, and music sounds great, let me tell you. You don't realize how much you love music- not good audio, but MUSIC, until you can hear it out of only 1 ear.
2% of those who get this lose hearing in both ears simultaneously (forever.) If vestibular changes occur with the hearing loss, the loss is usually permanent and progressive. Luckily for me, my hearing is coming back, and my ENT feels it will come back all the way to pre viral attack. Probably the same virus that causes Bell's Palsy, but because the 8th nerve goes through a tiny foramen thru the skull, the swelling of the damaged nerve causes more irreparable damage.
Had to share this with you all, and hopefully you'll never have to deal with it. If you do, get immediate care, and hopefully the loss of hearing won't be permanent.
Happy Listening! I'm one happy fellow right now.
