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@sdsh

Hello - I am following this group to learn how to help my 85 year old mother who lost the hearing in her right ear 3 years ago and then in her left 2 months ago. She cannot hear anything and has been diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Along with the hearing loss, she is experiencing pain and dizziness. She has seen two ENTs, a Neuro otologist, Neurologist, had multiple CT scans and MRIs, had steroid injections in her ear, done several rounds of oral steroids, done physical therapy ... and still no understanding of what caused the hearing loss or how to alleviate the pain and dizziness.

She is feeling isolated, frustrated, and agitated ... all understandable! It is time we figure out how to help her deal with what is happening and start to live each day the best she can, instead of waiting for an answer to "why" and/or a cure.

Any suggestions for services and support for those dealing with sudden hearing loss would be very much appreciated!

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Replies to "Hello - I am following this group to learn how to help my 85 year old..."

If there is a vestibular (balance) center within a reasonable distance, that would be a good place to start on both the dizziness and pain: If you're dizzy (esp. if you're older), your balance is undoubtedly impaired, which leads to horrific pain, just from the effort of staying upright. Good news is that balance exercises are hardly exercises, can often be worked into daily things you do anyway. That won't explain the hearing loss or help it, but will make a huge difference. Basically, once your inner ear isn't providing balance information, you naturally tend to use vision, which is all bad: every time you move or even move your head, your focal point changes, leading to total confusion. You need to learn to use your third balance system, proprioception, which is the info your get from your feet, ankles, knees, etc. In simple terms, if you're standing on a windy point, proprioception "tells" you which way to lean and just how much. I have Meniere's, have done vestibular exercises every stinkin' day for nearly 40 years; as a result I lead a more active life than most people my age (79). I still do fisheries data collection on a wild little river on Oregon's north coast, by myself, hiking miles upstream, crossing the river far from anyone else (no cell reception for 20 miles), and finish by crawling up above a waterfall. Nothing I do would be possible if I didn't do vestibular exercises daily.