Mysterious hearing loss, what could have caused it?

Posted by megwest512 @megwest512, Aug 2, 2021

I am a 27 year old, healthy woman with no health conditions. Last September I woke up one day and thought I had wax buildup in my left ear because I could barely hear....long story short after many specialists, scans, and failed steroids, nobody has been able to tell me how I lost my hearing.
My audiograph results show conductive hearing loss, yet I had no trauma whatsoever that could have caused it. CT and MRI scans are all normal and none of the ENT specialists that I have seen in Denver and Atlanta can give me any answers.
I am posting this simply to see if anyone has or knows someone that has experienced anything like this, and maybe can give me some insight or theories.
Thanks in advance!

-Meg

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@megwest512

Update on my hearing: I went in for surgery so my doc could look in my ear to see what was wrong. Turns out my incus wasn’t touching my stapes and he just put in a prosthetic incus. Hopefully that works! My tinnitus is gone so I am hopeful

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Happy to hear that, Meg! Sending best wishes your way!

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@megwest512

Update on my hearing: I went in for surgery so my doc could look in my ear to see what was wrong. Turns out my incus wasn’t touching my stapes and he just put in a prosthetic incus. Hopefully that works! My tinnitus is gone so I am hopeful

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This is very good news.

I'd like to point out here that @megwest512 told us in her original post that her hearing loss was conductive. I'm thinking that most of us here have sensorineural hearing losses associated with the cochlea in the inner ear. I include myself in the latter category. I have a sensorineural loss in the high frequencies of sound and have hearing aids that work really well for me.

Meg, did your doctor tell you what happened to the incus and why it wasn't connecting with the stapes? It's sounds like the little bones in the middle ear were disconnected? I'm so happy to hear that the surgery worked so well for you.

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@naturegirl5

This is very good news.

I'd like to point out here that @megwest512 told us in her original post that her hearing loss was conductive. I'm thinking that most of us here have sensorineural hearing losses associated with the cochlea in the inner ear. I include myself in the latter category. I have a sensorineural loss in the high frequencies of sound and have hearing aids that work really well for me.

Meg, did your doctor tell you what happened to the incus and why it wasn't connecting with the stapes? It's sounds like the little bones in the middle ear were disconnected? I'm so happy to hear that the surgery worked so well for you.

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Hey Helen, my Dr cannot explain why the bones were disconnected, I didn’t experience any kind of trauma or loud noises and I haven’t been sick since I was a child. It’s a mystery!

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@megwest512

Hey Helen, my Dr cannot explain why the bones were disconnected, I didn’t experience any kind of trauma or loud noises and I haven’t been sick since I was a child. It’s a mystery!

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Hello again, @megwest512. So the mystery isn't solved but the treatment worked. That's the best kind of ending.

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hello there.. My name is Ashif from MAlawi.. I have hearing issue from last 5 years, not sure when I started hearing less and how. I have been going to many doctors here and even India. But There are only 2 options they have suggested. 1 is Surgery as they mentioned some Bone issue in inner ear. Other option is Hearing aid. I went for second option but whenever I wear HEaring aid for few hours my right head start paining badly. Please anyone have solution for my problem..

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@ashifp

hello there.. My name is Ashif from MAlawi.. I have hearing issue from last 5 years, not sure when I started hearing less and how. I have been going to many doctors here and even India. But There are only 2 options they have suggested. 1 is Surgery as they mentioned some Bone issue in inner ear. Other option is Hearing aid. I went for second option but whenever I wear HEaring aid for few hours my right head start paining badly. Please anyone have solution for my problem..

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Welcome, @ashifp. I think @julieo4 @tonyinmi @naturegirl5 might have some thoughts for you about pain on the side of your head after wearing your new hearing aid for a few hours.

Ashif, do you wear one or two hearing aids? Is the hearing loss in only one ear?

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@ashifp

hello there.. My name is Ashif from MAlawi.. I have hearing issue from last 5 years, not sure when I started hearing less and how. I have been going to many doctors here and even India. But There are only 2 options they have suggested. 1 is Surgery as they mentioned some Bone issue in inner ear. Other option is Hearing aid. I went for second option but whenever I wear HEaring aid for few hours my right head start paining badly. Please anyone have solution for my problem..

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Hello, Ashif @ashifp Is your hearing affected in both ears? Or one ear but not the other? Does the hearing aid help you to hear better? Did the hearing loss happen suddenly or gradually over time? I'm puzzled by the pain you describe from the hearing aid. Did you get your hearing aid from a doctor? If yes, can you return to that doctor and describe the problem? I'm wondering if an adjustment in the hearing aid would help.

I am in the United States. My hearing was tested by a licensed audiologist in a doctor's office (otolaryngology). When the tests showed that I would benefit from hearing aids, I bought the hearing aids from that office. I can go back to that office whenever I want if I have problems with the hearing aids. There is no charge for these visits.

I am also puzzled by the surgery recommendation. A bone issue in the inner ear? With the temporal bone where the inner ear is? Do you or did you have an infection in that bone? It will be your decision, of course, and we are not doctors or medical professionals here at Mayo Clinic Connect. For me, surgery is a last resort and I try everything else recommended before I think about having surgery.

I hope questions will help you find a solution.

Blessings,
Helen

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@ashifp

hello there.. My name is Ashif from MAlawi.. I have hearing issue from last 5 years, not sure when I started hearing less and how. I have been going to many doctors here and even India. But There are only 2 options they have suggested. 1 is Surgery as they mentioned some Bone issue in inner ear. Other option is Hearing aid. I went for second option but whenever I wear HEaring aid for few hours my right head start paining badly. Please anyone have solution for my problem..

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@ashifp I assume the right side of your head is painful because of a hearing aid in your right ear. Is the part that goes into your ear a custom mold or what is called a dome? You could be experiencing a reaction to the material. You should go back to the place where you got the hearing aid and let them know about the pain. Perhaps a different material could be used. I hope they can isolate the cause.
Tony in Michigan

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@tonyinmi

@ashifp I assume the right side of your head is painful because of a hearing aid in your right ear. Is the part that goes into your ear a custom mold or what is called a dome? You could be experiencing a reaction to the material. You should go back to the place where you got the hearing aid and let them know about the pain. Perhaps a different material could be used. I hope they can isolate the cause.
Tony in Michigan

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Yes, I agree with Tony's comments about ear molds vs domes. An ear mold has to be fit perfectly to be comfortable. Often, even with a good fitting, it has to be filed down or adjusted. There are different materials available to create those ear molds. Some people do have allergic reactions. Lots of things to consider. I have a reaction to the nose pieces in glasses. I cannot use glasses unless the nose pieces are part of the frame. I have an allergic reaction to the softer/rubber feeling movable ones. These allergies are not common, but they do occur.

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I don’t know anything about hearing loss other than your hearing is impaired in some way.
I have problems hearing when more than one person is talking. Also awful problem understanding accents. I have a friend in Nigeria and I can’t hardly understand him worth a lick but he understands me fine. A few years ago I had a hearing her and I was told but there were certain tones I couldn’t hear or had difficulty hearing I don’t remember exactly. I didn’t have any hearing impairments other than the tone issues. I was curious if anyone had anything similar and if it was correctable, perhaps by hearing aids.
Any help greatly appreciate it,
Jake

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