Sudden hearing loss in one ear

Ingileif1304, I have had tinnitus for many decades. The first time it happened was in a fight when I was around ten. Ruptured ear drum, which never healed properly. The initial tinnitus subsided but sometime in my 30's reappeared in that one ear. A decade or so later it started in my other ear.

Now I have two very loud high pitch electronic sounds in my brain. Amazingly, I am able to ignore it 95% of the time. How, I'm not sure exactly. It's a little like living with a loud refrigerator or electrical device I suppose.It's just there. I wish you all the best in dealing with yours. I do think over time your brain somehow adjusts to the new sound landscape.

I'm sorry for the distress this is causing you. Something we take for granted and now you have to think about/be reminded often. My tinnitus started in one ear because I had radiation treatments to the area in my 30's. 20 years later it turns out my tinnitus is from hearing loss. I have great hearing aids that I love with bluetooth, very clear sound, music etc.

Did you have a complete hearing test done? You don't say what they think has caused your hearing loss, just that it's been treated.

Here's the thing that helped me cope: Free videos on Youtube by DaleSnale. He's a musician with hearing loss who has scientifically created sound videos. I use them to fall asleep. The sound is kept just below the sound of the tinnitus, which is in the brain, not the ear! There are good videos about this, how to retrain the brain.
In about 4-6 months I was not thinking about it all the time. Anxiety and certain things we eat (for me it's anything salty) can affect tinnitus. The more anxious I got, the louder it got. One day I realized it didn't make me anxious anymore.

If you could take a break sometime during the day and then as you're falling asleep. You can begin to make a change. Some people see ENT or therapists for Cognitive Behavioral training.

I hope you can accept that there's a brain connection and that is what gets you a break from this cycle. Please let us know how you're doing.

Sometimes it helps to know that other people are going through the same thing. Tinnitus is common. It has been a mystery for way too long. Fortunately, there is more research being done on tinnitus now than ever before. I suggest you go to the website of The Hearing Health Foundation, which focuses on research in all areas related to hearing. Tinnitus being one of them. http://www.hhf.org HHF is a non profit research organization. They ask for donations up front, but donations are not required to search the website or to receive information. I hope you find this helpful. Julieo4

I am seeing all of these people responding to the tinnitus issue, but no one seems to be addressing the sudden loss of hearing. I sincerely hope your hearing returns. It is a scary and debilitating feeling. I had sudden hearing loss in 2018, and it never came back, but there are options such as cros hearing aids, Cochlear implants, and bone conduction implants such as I have. Unfortunately along with the hearing loss comes a myriad of sounds such as buzzing, ringing, gurgling, crackling, and whooshing. The little hearing you have left may sound like listening to a broken speaker. Mine did at first until the hearing went away completely. There is a chance yours will come back or at least not get worse. Find a good ENT who understands complete hearing loss. My first one did not, and I lost valuable time that possibly could have been spent on steroid treatments.

@lmayo Yes, you are correct about no comments on the sudden loss of hearing but several like mine on tinnitus. I recommend to all a website, Hearing Tracker forums. Contributors from many countries address hundreds of topics regarding hearing loss. Sudden single sided hearing loss is among the topics covered. There are quite a few comments from contributors who have experienced it. I wish you and all here the best.

To the original poster: SHL (sudden hearing loss) isn’t talked about enough for those of us who experience it. It usually strikes one ear in healthy young adults (20-40). I experienced it at age 22 and my hearing (I am 69 now) has not returned. In July 1979 when this hit me, I had severe vertigo that lasted for 2-3 months. It derailed my life in many ways; I was never able to complete my Peace Corps duty. There were no MRI machines then, so an ENT removed my ear drum to check for a tumor (acoustical neuroma) and found nothing. The use of steroids was not practiced. Doctors believe the cause of this is a viral infection; however, patients are not otherwise ill. Although my hearing never returned, if I pay attention to my left ear there is tinnitus which sounds like static on an untuned radio. I have learned to live with that and have had a full life, career and traveled a lot. I hope this info helps you.

@cleveland26
Thank you for your kind response. Actually, I meant for my comment to be a reply to ingileif1304 who had posted about her sudden hearing loss. I neglected to push reply instead of comment. Everyone started addressing the tinnitus instead of the cause of the tinnitus in her case. Since I went through the same journey, I wanted to assure her that she has options because she was concerned about raising her children. She appears to be not only dealing with the weird sounds that take over your brain, but getting her hearing back as well. Since her experience resonates with my own 8 years ago, I wanted to reassure her and help guide her toward the right direction for assistance. Gradual hearing loss is distressing enough, but to go from normal to none even in just one ear affects your entire psyche. It actually took me two years to accept my "new normal", and that was with lots of help.

@ ingileif1304 @lmao
yes the “grieving” period is long. Sudden hearing loss is shocking enough but to have it replaced by an insistent cacophony of obnoxious sound is really a lot to get used to, not to mention the sudden disorientation in space - where is that external sound coming from, left or right, behind or in front? Things we took for granted.
Rest assured you do get used to it over time. It’s the new you. Some people have success with steroids if started early enough, once the window passes I’m not sure what can be done. But, research is ongoing and I have hope for all of our futures

@lmayo thank you so much, no my hearing is so bad and disoriented that I think it’s not coming back at all, I hate this reactive tinnitus that I have and I cry all the time because I just feel I can’t live like this, but I’ve read that the reactive part comes sown after a while. How did you go on honestly?

Although it seems overwhelming at first, you will adjust. Just some tips. Check into the option of getting a cros hearing aid. Research it. People run around with earpieces in their ears all of the time, so no one will think about the processor. They are small and unobtrusive. That one simple step will help so much with your directional hearing so you won't be constantly spinning around trying to figure out where sound is coming from. You did not mention having any vertigo, but if you do experience it, rule out any major medical problems first, then find a physical therapist who deals with positional vertigo. As for the tinnitus, you will notice it less if you stay busy. The more anxious you get about it, the more you will notice it. I use white noise to fall asleep. There are apps with relaxing music, nature sounds, ocean waves, etc that distract from the tinnitus while you fall asleep. Last, it would not hurt to arrange a few sessions to help with your anxiety as you adjust to this change. Losing the use of an ear is like losing an old friend you did not even realize you had. We really cannot fully appreciate it until it is gone. Here I am 8 years later still hoping for a miracle medical breakthrough to help people restore original hearing. Meanwhile there are options and tools that a good ENT clinic can show you, some of which you can actually test drive to see how well they would work for you. Reach out and lean on forums like this one for information and updates.