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Will I regain my hearing in left ear?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Jan 10 6:46am | Replies (11)Comment receiving replies
Reply to dloos
Actually, sudden hearing loss does come on just that quickly. I was awake when mine happened, and it was like a switch was shut off on my right ear. I can tell you the exact date and what I was doing when it happened. Not realizing it was an emergency, I just assumed it was temporary like when you have a stuffed ear caused by a cold or something. Had I known better, I would have gone to the ER. The next morning, which was a Sunday, I woke up with severe vertigo so bad that I had to crawl when I was finally able to get put of bed. I contacted my PCP first thing Monday. They got me in to see a PA. No one seemed overly concerned by what was going on with me. I was sent to a physical therapist for the vertigo. Nothing got better so I went back to my PCP a few days later. By the time I got in to see an ENT, 10 days had passed. I had an MRI, and the steroid shot and meds did not bring my hearing back, but I later learned that an eatlier treatment would have given me a better chance. I have zero hearing in that ear. I had just had hearing tests on both ears 4 months before the SSHL so I knew my hearing was better than average for my age...no hearing aids needed.
About a year later, I had an Osia 2 bone conduction implant which helps with directional hearing, but I will never have the life I had before this happened. Only a person who has experienced sudden hearing loss will appreciate the life changing aspects of the phenomena. The sad part is that no one has ever been able to offer an explanation as to why this happened. There are theories, but no definitive answers. You just learn to live and cope with it. There are many things that can be worse in this life, but I still research for solutions. Never give up.
Replies to "Reply to dloos Actually, sudden hearing loss does come on just that quickly. I was awake..."
@imayo Thank you for sharing your experience. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is not that uncommon. It has been discussed several times on Mayo Clinic Connect. As a long time active member of the Hearing Loss Assn. of America (HLAA), I have met many people who have experienced it. In many instances it started after air travel. In others it just happened. In most cases there had been no prior indication of hearing loss.
In recent years there have been successful turn arounds by steroid treatment. However, that treatment has to happen within a few days of the occurrence of the sudden loss. An unfortunate reality is that far too many ER, PCP, PA professionals are not well informed about hearing loss, especially this kind. They don't realize that this condition needs immediate treatment. To complicate it even further, it is difficult to get in to see an ENT specialist immediately.
Among the people I know who have experienced SSNHL, most have had success with cochlear implants after learning their hearing is not going to come back. There is hope out there.
Hearing loss, especially that of adult onset, is life changing. It means a person has to learn new strategies on how to live well with it. Most adult onset hearing loss comes on gradually rather than suddenly. While that may sound easier to deal with, it is difficult because the person who has it often doesn't realize it even though everyone with whom they associate knows that something isn't right.
Coming to MCC to discuss these issues is the beginning of coping. Learning we are not alone helps. It helps even more when you have the opportunity to meet others like you in person. I highly recommend joining HLAA for information, for peer support and to become an advocate for more education, research and understanding of the invisible disability of hearing loss. http://www.hearingloss.org If there is an HLAA chapter near you, consider attending their meetings. Some chapters hold meetings on Zoom. While that isn't 'in person', you do have the opportunity to identify with people whom you will see and be able to learn from.
If anyone experiences sudden hearing loss it's extremely important to get treatment within a few days of onset. See an ear/nose/throat specialist. Be sure to tell them when trying to schedule an appointment that SSNHL is the reason it's urgent. Good luck to all. And good luck learning to cope with the realities of hearing loss if it becomes a part of who you are.
My story is the same. First ENTwasted valuable time by treating with medication, assuming it was a viral infection.
I needed steroid shot in my ear for any hope.
I have tinnitus, I must get up slowly due to dizziness, although this has become easier to live with.
I have a cross hearing aid that does help with my SSD. It’s taken quite awhile to get the adjustments right for my hearing aid.
Good luck to you. It can be very depressing, but I tell myself, there are much worse things people deal with.
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Mine was similar after a plane trip. I had mild hearing loss before that time, but it didn’t bother me. (I guess that’s why I made that comment)
Same as you, no-one treated my condition with any urgency. I waited and waited to see ENT doctors, and my PCP didn’t seem to understand the need to get me in as quickly as possible. I didn’t even know the questions to ask.
I was given hearing aids, and like you, was sent to PT for vertigo.
My hearing continues to deteriorate. They suggest anti-depressants. I have seen seven ENTs. Each one has a different diagnosis. Nobody knows.
My life is also forever changed.