Hearing loss after MRI

Posted by julianneyoung @julianneyoung, Nov 21, 2023

I had a 15 minute MRI yesterday and experienced very noticeable hearing loss afterwards. (I already wear hearing aids for congenital bilateral hearing loss.). My ears feel “full” and sound is muffled. I did wear ear plugs and have had MRI before without this happening. It seems slightly better this morning but even my hearing aids turned all the way up doesn’t help much. As a matter of fact, wearing my aids is uncomfortable right now. Has anyone else had this happen? I am not sure what to do. Should I go see my PCP, is this likely temporary and is there anything I can do to help matters?

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@jasonl1012

No. Not one word. It’s always mentioned like it’s completely harmless. Even when giving contrast it’s treated nonchalantly and without a 2nd thought

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Not sure how much research information is of interest to you, but here is some research that includes an interesting graphic on sound levels. It helps to be able to refer to actual research along with personal experiences if we want those professionals to listen to us. See the information below and the link it is from.

A statistic that impressed me years ago when the director of the National Institutes of Health spoke at an HLAA event was that '50% of the population can lose hearing due to noise exposure. The other 50% appear to be unaffected."

I spent a good share of my childhood hunting with my Dad. In my teen age and college years Rock Music was our thing. My progressive sensorineural hearing loss was diagnosed in my 20s. I am certain there was a hereditary disposition to HL, but it was exacerbated earlier due to noise exposure.

Those loud bangs in an MRI Must far exceed the safe dB level, but I can find no graph or record of that being recorded. We should all get on the bandwagon and start asking about that. I am guessing that the Hearing Health Foundation may be on this, but don't know for sure. HHF is open to suggestions. http://www.hhf.org

Harmful Noise Levels https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/6/2347
Sound frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz), and intensity (loudness) is measured by sound pressure level on a logarithmic decibel (dB) scale, which ranges from safe to unsafe exposure levels (Figure 1). Normal human sound discrimination typically begins at 0 dB within the frequency ranges of 20 Hz to 20,000 kHz [27]. In comparison, a normal conversation is approximately 60 dB, traffic is 80 dB, very loud music at a rock concert or nightclub is 120 dB, and a jet engine is 140 dB. Broad categories of noise exposure include continuous noise, which is sustained over time, and impulsive noise, which occurs rapidly (i.e., a gunshot or explosion) and is generally at a higher sound pressure level [28]. A sound pressure level above 110 dB is considered discomfort threshold, and above 130 dB is the pain threshold [3]. Sustained noise above 70 dB can result in cumulative hearing loss while noise above 120 dB can cause immediate hearing loss [29].
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Figure 1. Examples of noise exposure levels in occupational and non-occupational settings. Data from the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [30] and the Hearing Health Foundation [31]. (See graphic at website.)

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