Sudden hearing loss... what it looks like.

[buzwork]

Starting November 17th I started having issues hearing in my right ear. It quickly progressed to the point earlier this week where I could hear nothing in my right ear and immediately scheduled appointments with audiologist & ENT. Yesterday, before my appointments, I started experiencing similar hearing loss in my left ear.

Here's what it looks like:

Side note: I had 'normal' hearing using the DecibelX iPhone app with ipod pros as recently as late October.

The doctor's initial diagnosis is cochlear hydrops, which is a relatively rare form of Meniere's disease (without vertigo/dizziness).

It's absolutely heart breaking at the moment, given recent investments and my love of audio. I'm not a volume knob abuser and this isn't caused by ear abuse. Doc has prescribed some meds that may help reduce fluid in the ears but we will see.

Pretty scary how isolating severe hearing loss is when it happens so suddenly.

 

[Ron Texas]

So sorry. I hope the meds work.

 

[abdo123]

I teared up a bit reading this, I hope you and your doctor can work together to make the best out of this situation.

Hearing in my right ear is 50% of that of my left ear. I would be devastated to wake up one day and have the percentage be at close to 0%.

I wish you the best of luck with this.

 

[Madjalapeno]

Wow - wishing you luck with the drops.

 

[BDWoody]

Hang in there...hoping for the best for you. Scary stuff.

 

[Timcognito]

We will listen to you though your written words. Keep posting, and many here will stay tuned to add support. I too, hope the drops or something else will change things for the better.

 

[LTig]

I wish you the very best and hope you belong to the 70% of patients who recover their hearing (according to wikipedia).

 

[UCrazyKid]

First of all I am SO very sorry to learn this has happened to you. I have experience SSHL (sudden sensorineural hearing loss) 3 times in my life due to viral infections in the hearing nerve. It is devastating and I really feel for you and wish you the best in recovering as much hearing as you can.

I HIGHLY recommend seeking acupuncture treatments as part of your treatment and recovery. There is published clinical evidence that supports it use and improvements. After 10years of no more improvements in one of my ears, with acupuncture I was able to regain some of the hearing I lost as measured in follow up audiologist testing. It can truly work.

On a side note to anyone reading this, DO NOT WAIT TO SEE A DOCTOR if you have a sudden hearing loss of any kind. In many cases there is a very short window of time (3-5 days) to get treatment and still get maximum possible recovery. Typically the treatment is with high doses of steroids, some times anti-virals, and in severe cases oxygen treatments in a hyperbaric chamber. Do not delay. (I made this mistake).

 

[restorer-john]

Oh dear, I hope all goes well and you recover your hearing.

 

[AdamG]

Get your ass to your Doctors office STAT! I can’t imagine how scary this is for you. But just reading your story scares the hell out of me. A learning moment we should all turn down the volume more often than not. I have a bad habit of cranking up the volume for a great song and then leaving the volume high for the next and the next song.

I join in with everyone else here wishing you a complete recovery and restoration of your precious hearing!

 

[amper42]

Starting November 17th I started having issues hearing in my right ear. It quickly progressed to the point earlier this week where I could hear nothing in my right ear and immediately scheduled appointments with audiologist & ENT. Yesterday, before my appointments, I started experiencing similar hearing loss in my left ear.

Here's what it looks like:

View attachment 170236


Side note: I had 'normal' hearing using the DecibelX iPhone app with ipod pros as recently as late October.

The doctor's initial diagnosis is cochlear hydrops, which is a relatively rare form of Meniere's disease (without vertigo/dizziness).

It's absolutely heart breaking at the moment, given recent investments and my love of audio. I'm not a volume knob abuser and this isn't caused by ear abuse. Doc has prescribed some meds that may help reduce fluid in the ears but we will see.

Pretty scary how isolating severe hearing loss is when it happens so suddenly.

Do you have subwoofers mostly situated on the right side of the room and like to watch action movies at significant volumes?

 

[JRS]

Do you have subwoofers mostly situated on the right side of the room and like to watch action movies at significant volumes?

No this an acute loss--unless listening at volumes of135dB high volumes is not cause for sudden profound loss, starting on one side and then occurring on the other a few weeks later. Usually as most of us know as a heavy overdose on volume is that one suffers from tinnitus for a few days and recovers, less some unnoticeable incremental loss, that if repeated multiple times can cause significant impairment.

And as to subwoofers, low frequencies can be nearly "deafening" and not lead to hearing loss. I don't know why I am irritated as I am sure your concern is heartfelt, but he has seen a specialist, been given a diagnosis and even says he is not into high volumes. All of which could be determined in the OP. Sorry if I seem to be ragging. This is a ****** thing to happen and I just don't believe such posts help.

 

[Zensō]

Wow, I’m so sorry you’re struggling with this. Wishing you a quick and complete recovery.

 

[Blumlein 88]

My sympathies and I hope your medical team can reverse your losses.

 

[Beershaun]

I'm so sorry! That has to frightening! I hope the drops work and you recover!!

 

[mightycicadalord]

This is really the warning I need to get of my ass and get my left ear checked out. Should probably stop smoking too.

 

[pozz]

@buzwork I'm really sorry you've been forced to deal with this. I hope the prognosis is good. Thank you for sharing the audiograms as well.

Could you please ask your doctor regarding diagnosis? (I'm not implying it's wrong.) I'm just curious how he or she arrived at Meniere's when the classic symptom there is loss of low frequency hearing.

 

[antennaguru]

Thanks for sharing, and I sure hope the treatments help!

 

[RHO]

Good luck with the treatment. I hope this gets resolved soon.

 

[dostoi]

It is Heartbreaking. Always sucks when ways of connecting to the world get impaired. It gets especially difficult to deal with, when deeply rooted hobbys like music are involved. For folks like us, music is like a drug. Big doses of dopamin.

Let me try to give you some help/hope. And one specific recommendation in regards to morbus menieres syndrome:

Anytime medicine talks about "syndromes", means it is occuring in big enough patterns to be recognised, named and talked about. But without knowing the causes.
So, we dont know what causes cochlear hydrops, the symptome they diagnosed you with. They talk about fluid buildup, about inflammation, not enough oxycen & so on.

The last time i had Morbus menieres syndrome, i got cortisol injected. Directly into my ear, through the eardrum. It was a "last dich effort". In a way, it makes you feel better just because you "doing something". Doing something surely felt better then nothing... So, psychologically it helped.

It was the second wave/outbreak of Morbus Menieres for me. First time as a Teenager. (Was all out chaos & panic). Second time during winter just last year. When i had them, they lastet for months. In my case with vertigo/dizziness. Getting an even louder Tinnitus, than normal, is what announced the coming wave. In my case, they didnt come with a flip of a switch. they came & went slowly. Lasting months.

The first time i lost part of my hearing permamently. The second time, i got my parcial hearing that I had at that time, fully back. But both times, a louder Tinnitus stayed.

First time was absolut chaos. Was a kid.
Second time I learned what i could. One thing i observed: Inflammation in the body.

In September last year i made a big hike in the mountains. I was too eager & arrogant, i went too far. I came back with pain in my knees. It was during this week, when i stayed home, because of pain in the knees, the second Outbreak of morbus menieres said hello.
Im a young (30 years old) & fit guy. I hike often. I live in switzerland. I have those glorious mountains in the backdoor. I completely didnt understand this problem with the knees.

Im sorry for this wall of text. The point i wanted to make:
My Body had a high amount of inflammation bevore i got on that hike. The pain & stress triggered just that: more inflammation.
My guess is, Morbus syndrome is the top of an iceberg. The real problem lies underneath. Buried in bad diet.

There it is, i said it: Diet.

Doctors will tell you nothing about diet. (At least those i consulted.) They will tell about cutting salt consumtion, and thats about it.
Bullshit.

My recommendation: Ketogenic diet. No Carbs. No vegetable Oils. Reverse Insulin resistance. Eat real food. Reduce Inflammation throughout the whole body.

My two cents. Hope that helps.