Anyone experience sudden hearing loss after an airplane flight?

I lost complete hearing in my left ear after returning for Laos. It has been 9 years and hasn’t returned yet. I am not sure if it was the flight that caused the loss, but have flown many times since.

My sensorineural hearing loss is progressive. However, through my involvement in The Hearing Loss Assn. of America (HLAA), I have met several people who have had this happen after flying. While it's not common, it can happen due the pressure changes that take place during the flight.

Many people experience 'ear popping' in flight, but not necessarily hearing loss. I was advised to take antihistimine before a flight, and also to chew gum during the flight as a preventative measure.

The treatment for SSHL is usually a steroid injection. However, it seems that to be effective that has to be done within a short time of the incident. Have you seen an ENT or an audiologist since this happened?

Yes I have. By the time I could get into the ENT- he said the time really had passed that a steroid would work but he did give me a script but it did nothing. I’m willing to try alternative options- what could it hurt. The audio person just took the test- come back in 6 months for a recheck. Plus gave me the option of trial hearing aids. Trying them- they are ok but a little annoying to have in the good ear. I keep praying something will change and my hearing comes back. Sometimes bad ear feels really clogged and other times no so. Is this the same with you? Any suggestions to try?

Good evening. I have a question. Have you known about babies and how they struggle with airplane trips? Their ears are in pain also. The flight attendants talk with parents and tell them to make sure that their babies can drink out of bottles during the flight. Evidently, the pressure that builds up at altitude is reduced when they suck on their bottle. When I was flying all the time, I used to try to help some of the moms.

Do you about this Julie?
Chris

Hi Chris,

Yes, I have heard that babies can have that same issue with sinus pressure. I hadn’t thought about that in this discussion. Ear infections are so common with infants and children. I suspect that would create some vulnerability. However, I’ve not heard of an infant or young child losing hearing this way.

Babies are screened for hearing loss shortly after birth in most hospital settings. Should a child show signs of hearing loss after a flight experience it would likely be possible to compare those screening results with another screening or testing.

Interesting thoughts. Thank you.

Julie

I lost hearing in both ears shortly after returning from England. My Doctor diagnosed an infection and treated with antibiotics. When the hearing only got worse I saw an ENT specialist who prescribed Prednisone. My hearing partially returned but now waiting for hearing aids. I did connect the hearing loss to the flight but now wonder if it was due to pressure and not a virus.

Yes, I lost hearing in my right ear after a 6 hour flight. It's been almost 5 weeks and nothing has returned. I've had 2 steroid injections into my ear, and a round of oral steroids. I had the MRI yesterday and will see the ENT again tomorrow. It's frustrating, scary... I get so dizzy and nauseated too. I don't understand why flying would cause this... it makes sense that your ears pop and such but this is way beyond that.

Yes! I’m in the same boat. After a flight to Hawaii sixteen months ago, my ears never “popped” back to normal. I had such a wait getting to see ENT that steroids were not suggested for me. I didn’t even know the right questions to ask anyway.
They got me into hearing aids which help a bit, but over time tinnitus and hyperacusis set in, which makes the hearing aid a weird balancing act with the other issues.
It seems to have set off cascading symptoms over time. Also feeling very anxious as to where this is going. Now have seen multiple ENTs and they have not been able to help.
I have posted on the Long Covid conversation as I believe my issues may be related to having had Covid a few weeks before our trip.
I am trying a low dose nicotine patch now because I saw low dose nicotine had helped another poster with similar situation.
Good luck. Please post if anything helps you.

On a NY to Hawaii flight years ago I, wearing my hearing aids, and suffering from a head cold was unable to have my ears pop back to normal after landing until three ot four days after landing. When they finally did my hearing went back to what it was prior to flight. I suffered no similar effects on the trip back to NY several weeks later. I never realized I could have suffered long lasting effects.

Flying to England in 2008 caused me severe hearing loss in both ears. I’ve been diagnosed with conductive hearing loss. It varies, going from one ear to the other. I just found out that I can really improve my hearing by clearing my Eustachian tube with saline flushes (you can buy cans in a 3-pack) a couple time a day and using an OTC steroid like Nasocort once a day and taking Zyrtek daily. Good luck.