Help: Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) - very scary

@normacarlson

I have had a slow progressive bilateral hearing loss over the past 40 plus years. While it was not sudden I had a scary experience recently. A few days ago my family and I were flying (about a 3 hour trip) and when we were landing I suddenly lost what hearing I had. Here we were in another state for a very busy and fun mini vacation seeing my granddaughter’s last college musical and I can’t hear anything. About 45 minutes later it gradually started to return and boom! I could hear again.

I can relate somewhat to how scary it is to suddenly lose all hearing. In all my years of flying this was a first. I didn’t feel any particular pressure or popping as we descended but, boy, I tell ya, I was terrified when it happened and very apprehensive on the return flight.
It didn’t happen on the return flight but all the scenarios that went through my mind as we made our way out of the airport that first time as to what I could do while we were away was really upsetting. I know what to do on “bad” hearing days and how to hear better in certain environments and when to avoid loud venues so I am used to adjusting,

I honestly have concerns about flying again. I don’t want to lose what I have and can imagine how devastating sudden sensorineural loss can be. And yes, there should be more education involved. With all the instructions about wearing your seat belt and putting your seat up when landing etc, why isn’t there a simple notice about what to do regarding ear pressure posted right on the seat in front of you. Hearing people don’t think of protecting their ears….this would really be a public service reminder.

FL Mary

My story is similar to those above. Last August woke up with no hearing in left ear 6 days after a Covid vaccine. Misdiagnosed at family doctor. Got to ENT 13 days in and diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Took prednisone 50mg with taper for 7 days - did nothing for hearing. Did 7 eardrum shots and high frequencies returned to normal. 9 months in and vibrations are returning to ear and tinnitus lessening. Hearing is the same. The neurologist thought varicella zoster. Or shingles attack. Felt better after valcyclovir anti-viral 3 months ago. Still hoping hearing will improve. Single side hearing aids make tinnitus worse. Trying a Cros system next week.

I’d be interested to know how the original poster is doing from 2019 if they are still on here.

It's important to know there are ways you can manage hearing loss that were not available even a few decades ago if your hearing doesn't improve. Of course, our first choice is complete healing, but if that doesn't happen you will have some options depending on the severity of your hearing loss.
For example hearing aids are more sophisticated today and cochlear implants are more available.

Sudden hearing loss is more common than most people realize.

Did your doctor explain why an MRI is routine?

I've met several people through my involvement in HLAA who have had hearing issues develop when flying. Very scary. I was involved on the national board of HLAA for many years and that meant flying from Wisconsin to Washington D.C. several times a year. Advice from others who either had hearing issues from flying or who were concerned about preventing them was to always take a dose of antihistamine prior to getting on the plane.

I believe this issue relates to air pressure on a plane, but it's not always a problem. It also relates to a person's health. for example, if you have a cold, allergies, sinus infection, etc. it is more likely this could affect you.

This is not 'medical advice', but simply advice from people who experience hearing loss themselves.

How can we, who live with hearing loss, get these very important messages out to people who should be in the know?

He wants to make sure the non cancerous tumor that is rare isn’t causing it .( I can’t think of the name).

@julieo4

Hi Julie,

I found so many articles and aviation publications online about Hearing and Noise in the Aviation Industry.
Apparently some airlines allow their pilots to wear noise reducing headsets and their attendants to wear earplugs. The passengers, I guess, are on their own.
I have also read conflicting information about taking antihistamines before a flight. One view says that antihistamines depress breathing and in the low oxygen environment of the plane that could be dangerous.

The aviation industry knows all about Airplane Ear as it is called. The hard part, like you said, is how to get this information to airline passengers. Do you contact each airline? Do you contact the head of the aviation industry, the president? I’m not being funny but I remember Reagan wore a hearing aid or two when he started to lose his hearing. What did he do, if anything, all the times he was on a plane?

There should be information about Airplane Ear posted and also a caution about the decibel level in the cabins. I always lower my volume around noise because I know what to do. So many passengers are plugged into their earbuds which may help them. Normally people are not that aware or just oblivious to all the noise in airports and the plane itself.

I know I did more than the usual number of yawning and swallowing on my return flight so that probably helped. I will think more about this but it can’t be just one person attempting to change things…..it should come from a group like the HLAA . No one ever mentioned anything about flying problems in all my years of attending local HLAA meetings. In fact, the Mayo Forum may be the first time I learned about sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Well, God bless the Mayo Forum and at least, maybe I can help someone individually with my newfound information.

FL Mary

Yes, you're talking about an acoustic neuroma. Important to eliminate that possibility. I hope all goes well for you. Stay positive!

@imallears Yes, on all of what you said. We never know, do we?

Industry is interesting.

If airlines push info about 'Airplane Ear' will people hesitate to fly?
If audiologists suggest cochlear implants will they lose their hearing aid customers?

It's hard to get information out, so forums like MCC can be very helpful. Organizations like HLAA, ALDA and a few others that bring people with hearing loss together to talk, share experiences and be willing to openly talk about it can do a great deal...

But...how do we get people to jump in to be advocates and educators. AND Believers? 🙂

Julie

Thanks for sharing I look forward to research more of this I’ve had Tinnitus for several year it’s getting louder and affects my sleep. Ent said my hearing is good. I’m going next month to discuss hearing aids. Has anyone had trouble with Burning Ears syndrome my ears usually rotate sides and turn red, burn and itch, My ENT is investigating it since He’s never seen it.

It's only been two days since the onset of what my doctors are treating as SSNHL. I'm hoping to see an ENT on Monday for more clarity. I've lost about 80% - 90% of the hearing in my left ear. They've already begun me on the doses of Prednisone.

Whereas the hearing loss is obviously devastating, it's the loudness of the world that I'm struggling with, to the point where I'm in agony. I've read about the extreme tinnitus that accompanies SSNHL, but has anyone else experienced all sounds making your tinnitus worse? I had less severe tinnitus before this episode and I found that I could reduce the ringing using background noise like music, or by keeping a radio or TV on. However, I now have to wear earplugs (the workman-style earmuffs) to drown out all sound or my tinnitus becomes overwhelming. And it doesn't matter what ear I expose to noise. Whether I expose the left ear, with substantial hearing loss, or the right which has normal (or what seems like normal) hearing, even taking my earmuffs off for a second turns the ringing into screaming. This is accompanied by what I can only describe as sounding like I'm in a tunnel or on a moving airplane. That deep hollow vibrating sound. The whole thing is debilitating.

Any help or advice or anything would be greatly welcomed.

Thanks.