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Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (1534)Comment receiving replies
Hello, I'm happy to have found this group. My hearing loss started in my late 50's when I was diagnosed with Meniere's in my right ear. It has now progressed to both ears and I started wearing hearing aids 3 years ago which has helped tremendously. I've gone through periods of total loss and then hearing returns in the left ear. I have associated diminution of my hearing with what I eat. I've given up caffeine, ice cream (takes my hearing away the next day completely) and salt (of course). Usually after a spell of what I call 'bad hearing days' my left ear will start to function again within a week. I had a great 3 months when I wondered why I was even wearing hearing aids as my left ear seemed to return to normal. However last week I woke up deaf. I couldn't hear myself talk and I had an extreme dizzy spell. I started taking high dose prednisone, which usually will alleviate the problem in the left ear but it hasn't worked at all. I've been to allergists, immunologists, neurotologist and about 4 ENTs looking for answers since I was initially diagnosed. No one has any. It's maddening to not know if any hearing will come back. Would a cochlear implant help? Do cochlear implants help with the tinnitus, which has gotten worse since my hearing disappeared. I'd consider trying stem cells but it doesn't seem like the science is fully there yet, at least not for humans and their ears.
Replies to "Hello, I'm happy to have found this group. My hearing loss started in my late 50's..."
Hi, @dthree Have you found anything more out about your sudden deafness and what can be done about it? I hope that it was temporary as were past problems and that this time it just lasted longer. I know nothing about Menieres but I am learning a little about through the posts here.
JK
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Hi dthree. I lost my hearing completely in July of 2017. I had been diagnosed 8 years before with Meniere's and had lost about 70% of the hearing in my right ear but my left ear was always fine. Well, in July of 2017 within a span of about 7 hours, they both went out. No hearing. Deaf. And what a blow to myself and my family. I had just turned 50 and didn't expect this at all. After verifying that my nerves were ok, I was approved for a cochlear implant (Med-el) and had the surgery in November of 2017. It was then activated in January 2018. For me, it has been a HUGE BLESSING. But i have to caution you that it is not perfect. When I talk to someone one-on-one, everything is great. My speech comprehension is over 90% and I do quite well. But throw any variables in there (background noise, road noise in the car, restaurant setting, wind noise when outside, etc.) and it becomes more difficult to understand people. Without my implant, i would be profoundly deaf and would have had to learn ASL. You asked about tinnitus. A cochlear implant does not take it away. I have terrible tinnitus in both ears. When I'm wearing the implant, it lessens the tinnitus significantly because my implant is picking up speech, noise, etc. But as soon as I take it off (to sleep at night, when I want a break, etc.), the tinnitus comes roaring back. At least that is what happens for me. I DON'T KNOW if that's typical. I know another woman who has two implants and NO tinnitus. So I'm not sure what the difference is. I really FEEL for your loss. It has taken me quite some time to come to grips with it. When it first happened I just soldiered on. But I've had more feelings of sadness a year later when I realize what a profound loss it is. I will pray for wisdom for you in the days ahead. A cochlear implant will definitely help. -- Stuart Sokolowski