@mdmorell Steroid treatment is only effective if given within about 5 days of onset of hearing loss. That statistic comes from an ENT that spoke at one of my HLAA chapter meetings. We will never know if it would have worked in your case but it points out the need for the PCP to understand hearing loss better. As far as your chiropractic treatment, I've never heard of that. It doesn't sound like an effective treatment to me so you may want to ask them for research data. If you find out anything, please share with the group.
Tony in Michigan

@mdmorell Your experience is generating interest for several reasons. One being that Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) is not uncommon, but those who experience it have different stories. You say you were traveling. Were you flying? I know several people who experienced SSHL after flying. Years ago, I was told to take antihistamines an hour before boarding a flight. I already had hearing loss, so that advice came from hearing healthcare professionals and other people I knew who had experiences similar to yours.

Up until 1988 when the National Institutes of Health established an institution within to focus on communication disorders, very little research was done in this area. Consequently, it remains relatively new in the medical profession. But there is no excuse for PCPs not to know that when a patient presents with SSHL, immediate treatment is vital. Reality is, they don't seem to get training in this area. They rarely even ask patients about their hearing at annual physicals. I'm venting here a little bit because I feel this is inexcusable.

Emergency room doctors also need to understand this is a problem that merits urgent attention. Steroids will only work if given quickly after the SSHL happens. It's next to impossible to get that treatment because the model for care begins long before treatment by a specialist occurs.

It is unlikely that steroid treatment will have a positive effect when received 10 days after SSHL occurs. It is possible that this could happen to the other ear in the future. The positive side is that you now know it needs immediate treatment. And, you know that protecting the hearing you have is important.

Cochlear implants are an option. Recent research shows that people with SSHL benefit and 'the rules' now allow for insurance coverage for them in this situation.

I always encourage people to join The Hearing Loss Association of America. (HLAA). Why? Because HLAA is the only organization that provides a strong voice for people with hearing loss who wish to remain in the hearing mainstream. We need to let the world know that hearing is important! HLAA recognizes the voids in the system. That includes more education for PCPs and ERPs on situations like yours. It also includes the lack of insurance and Medicare coverage for hearing aids along with the need for people who lose hearing as adults to find answers and be able to talk about it. HLAA is working on all these issues but needs more support from the patients who want to see change. http://www.hearingloss.org

I have never heard of a vibrating instrument used in the ear canal, but it sounds a bit scary. Did it help at all? Did you ask an ENT about it?

Please share more of your story when you can.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I went from excellent hearing to SSHL in one ear instantly while in my car. I was treated for allergies. Spent 2 more weeks trying to find an ENT to see. Got on prednisone at 3 weeks. Then 4 steroid injections thru eardrum. No improvement. It has been a life halting experience for me. If I just couldn't hear with one ear I think I could eventually move on but it has now been 8 months. The side effects that accompanied the deafness are what's really debilitating for me. The loud tinnitus, the sound sensitivity in my good ear, the constant fullness/pressure in my whole head, the reverberating feedback sometimes when I talk or try to hum or sing. The never ending feeling of assault at all the noise around me or trying to watch a movie. I was referred for a Baha or Osia implant but the specialist in the SF Bay Area said that would not help with all the side effects. He recommended a Cochlear Implant but said Medicare won't cover because I have good hearing in my right ear. My PCP referred me to UC Davis (a teaching hospital) for a 2nd opinion but it has been 6 weeks and I can't get a call back or appt. I keep trying to "move on" but I don't know how. This happened days after closing my business, turning 65, and planning next chapter. I've barely left the house since this happened. Finding good info and help is a struggle. I tried to nicely educate the Doctors that didn't treat my initial hearing loss as an emergency but they didn't seem very receptive. I tried chiropractic adj, massage, boosting my immune system. Was going to try hyperbaric chamber but my doctors said it would be a waste.