SSNHL with Sound Distortion / Crackling - Why??

Posted by Tom Zed @tommyzed, Jun 10, 2020

Hi. I was hoping someone could help me with some information. I was hit with SSNHL on March 20th, 2020. I lost my upper frequencies (6k+) in my left ear. After a round of steroids and some time, my 6k has mostly returned, but not much else.

Beyond the hearing loss, I also have Tinnitus (which lately has disappeared from time to time!) and some weird distortion thing. I understand everything except the distortion. My doctors don't seem to quite understand what I'm talking about or they dismiss it as something that my "brain will adapt to eventually". Online I haven't been able to find much... so I figured I would try here.

So, what happens is that certain sounds will become distorted in my left ear. Almost as if they are coming through water or being distorted by a digital filter. The sounds are "cracked". It's almost always when there is a *background* noise - street noise, water running, music and then someone else is talking or making a sound. Then, the sounds become cracked/distorted/digitized. It varies from being slightly annoying to making it hard to understand the situation.

It doesn't seem to matter if there's "bounce-back" from walls or the volume of the noise. For example, talking to someone on speaker phone outside will almost always sound distorted, but inside they sound fine.

Has anyone else experienced this and understood what's going on?

Very many thanks in advance!

best and stay safe,
tom

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dloos | @dloos | Jan 16 6:50pm

In reply to @distortedhearing "What are ALL of your symptoms? What caused your ear problems? How does your voice sound..." + (show)

I developed muffed, clogged hearing six weeks after recovering from Covid. We flew to Hawaii. After getting off the plane my ears never “popped” back to normal. That was three years ago. Since then it has developed into pressure in my head, tinnitus and hyperacusis and hearing loss.
My own voice seems very muffled, like I’m down a hole or under water. What I hear is distorted. Most music sounds tinny, and I have a lot of trouble understanding people. I wear hearing aids now but they don’t help much.
I have seen multiple ENT doctors, audiologists, Neurologists....nobody has answers. I also have impaired vision and extreme constipation.
I attribute all to the after effects of Covid 19.
It really sucks. I continue to seek answers but nobody really knows how to help. My life is nothing like it was before I had Covid.

distortedhearing | @distortedhearing | Jan 16 6:57pm

In reply to @dloos "I developed muffed, clogged hearing six weeks after recovering from Covid. We flew to Hawaii. After..." + (show)

I'm so sorry to hear this. My life has been horrible since my infection too. Do you have Cochlear Synaptopathy (hidden hearing loss), recruitment, or Auditory Nuerothopy? What is the best answer that you have so far? Do you belong to any support groups on Facebook where we could chat more since we have this rare similar problem?

distortedhearing | @distortedhearing | Jan 16 6:59pm

Can you exchange numbers on this site or email addresses?

dloos | @dloos | Jan 16 7:11pm

In reply to @distortedhearing "I'm so sorry to hear this. My life has been horrible since my infection too. Do..." + (show)

I am not on Facebook, or any support group other than this site. My diagnosis have varied from Eustachian tube dysfunction to age relate sensorial hearing loss. Frankly, they just don’t know. I have had three CT scans of my inner ears and they are all normal.
I was told cochlear implants are not for me.
???? I wish I had some answers for you. Sadly I do not.