Connect
← Return to Sudden hearing loss
Discussion
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 16 hours ago | Replies (11)
Comment receiving replies
I had SHL (sudden hearing loss) at age 21 back in summer 1979. There were no MRI scanners back then. The ENT did a now unknown surgery in which my eardrum was temporarily removed so he could check for a tumor. Nothing was found. I am 69 now and have lived with one usable ear for my entire adult life. That initial summer I had extreme vertigo and could not leave the house. It slowly dissipated over several months. I was given antivert, a prescription drug at that time, but now available OTC. I remember it helped somewhat. SHL is most common in young adults (20-40). Specialists continue to believe it is caused by a virus. I had no other symptoms. Good luck to you.
Replies to "I had SHL (sudden hearing loss) at age 21 back in summer 1979. There were no..."
Connect
@barbaradh Curious to know if you use hearing aids of any kind? My first were bicross that transmitted sound from the 'bad' side to the side was hearing. That was in the mid 70s so a lot of changes in theory and technology since then. It's amazing how much has improved since then, but still not perfect.
I received a cochlear implant at age 65. It has helped tremendously. If your auditory nerve is functional a CI may help you.
Back in the 70s, most medical providers thought the auditory nerve was dead or dying so we were told there was nothing that would help us. The reality: In most cases the auditory nerve is functional but the hair cells in the cochlear are damaged, thus not stimulating the nerve that sends sound to the brain for interpretation. When that nerve lies dormant it leads to 'auditory deprivation'. In many people, cochlear implants have been able to reactivate the nerve by bypassing the cochlea. Pretty amazing stuff. It does take some serious rehabilitation but is worth every minute it takes.