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 Sudden Hearing Loss (Page 1)
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| Author | Topic: Sudden Hearing Loss |
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Mike Member |
posted 03-25-2001 04:16 AM
 
I was diagnosed with Sudden Hearing Loss in my left ear 8 days ago. I have never had ear problems in the past, even as a child (no infections). I have looked on the internet for diagnosis and treatment related to such loss, but feel dissapointed with what is available. I am 29 and the Director of Marketing for a very large company which requires frequent travel. I have read that SSHL is sometimes thought to result from airplane pressure, scuba diving, strenuous workouts. I was also recently very sick with the Flu (Virul Cause??). I have bad allergies and my primary physician thought I was just "congested". I decided to see a ENT and after testing found I had 100% loss in my left here. He has put me on high doses of Prednisone (Standard grasp at treatment!). Does anyone know of any experimentaql treatment available (A Dr. willing to take the risk). ie. Batroxobin, Carbogen or Acyclovir. I attend many Forums (lots of people talking at once), and conduct many meetings. You would think with one good ear I would still be able to function, but the white noise/ringing=tinnitus is so bad I have trouble hearing out of the good ear. Not to mention the dizziness. I feel like I have been drinking all night, left the TV on until the channel cut out and the fire alarm is going off!!! If I can't beat this, does anyone have ideas on how to cope. ie. increase the function of the good ear. IP: Logged |
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Mike Member |
posted 03-25-2001 04:21 AM
PS The loss occured after a flight to San Diego from Las Vegas. 8 hours after the flight I felt like my ear was full of wax. Within two hours the tinnitus/dizziness began and my hearing was completely gone!!! IP: Logged |
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Cathy Member |
posted 03-25-2001 11:50 PM
I read that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also being used in some hospitals for treatment of SSNHL. I also read that carbogen inhalation therapy in conjunction with a blood thinner is also a treatment. But where are they doing this I have not been able to find out. I have been calling and e-mailing physicians and hospitals with no success. Good Luck IP: Logged |
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Mike Member |
posted 03-26-2001 01:45 AM
I have not found a physician willing to try either approach. I have also been looking for a physician to try Batroxobin treatment. Which is a snake venom (very successful in Europe, but not FDA approved in US). I also know of trials in Texas where they implanted a tube in the ear so that steroids could be injected directly into the area. Much like dosing is done for cancer patients. All of these possible solutions available and no one to help!!! IP: Logged |
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Cathy Member |
posted 03-26-2001 09:36 AM
I live in NJ and this morning have called Mass Ear and Eye, Manhatten Ear and Eye , Univ. of Pa. and no one has heard of it either. I wrote to a Dr. in Munich and he suggested contacting a Dr.in a Hyperbaric Chamber center. We will keep trying . I know something will help. [This message has been edited by Admin5 (edited 04-02-2001).] IP: Logged |
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Cathy Member |
posted 03-26-2001 06:16 PM
Mike ,I think I have stumbled onto something. I just got off the telephone with a Dr. in Silver Springs Md. He himself has a hearing problem and does use the carbogen inhalation therapy. He believes in the shot gun theory. Give it all you got as quickly as you can. If you are interested in more info Reach me at Catchy13@webtv.net We are going to see him hopefully very soon. You need to know if carbogen is available at your local medical supplier because it is delivered to your home. Carbogen is 5% Carbon dioxide amd95 % oxygen. Don't give up hope. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. You must exhaust all the options presented before. I also have infoon the hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I have to addresses, one in New England and one in New York. I got them from info@hbotoday.com. I haven't heard from either of them as of yet. I am hopeful that one of these treatments will be successful for you and my son Just when you think you have reached a dead end or have hit that brick wall , out of nowhere comes HOPE. Wishing you well again. IP: Logged |
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Mike Member |
posted 03-27-2001 12:17 AM
Thanks for the information, it is something I will look into ASAP. i went to see a second specialist and he believes that the cause of my loss is a Fistula (hole in the inner ear. I am having surgery in 2 days! The good news is that if the hole is caught soon enough I could gain back a small percentage of my hearing. That would allow me to wear a hearing aid. The bad news is that he could get in there and find that the hole doesn't exist or that plugging it will not help. As I understand it, the amount of fluid you lose is equal to the hearing loss. The fluid is not replacable and the body does not replenish it after the hole is repaired. It is a shot in teh dark, but he is the first DR. that was willing to be proactive. If you were on a plane, scuba dive, or workout strenuously, these can cause a pressure change that will allow the hole to rupture. I fly at least 8 times per month for my job and workout/run every day. You may want to check on this if you did any of these activities prior to the loss. I'll keep you posted with the results. IP: Logged |
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Cathy Member |
posted 03-27-2001 08:34 AM
My son's hearing loss is definetly related to the upper-resperatory infection that he had prior to his hearing loss. We will probably be trying the carbogenic inhalation treatment.He has had an MRI which shows no damage to the ear itself but ther is no oxygen or blood going to the ear. I wish you luck and yes let me know how things turn out. I will do the same. IP: Logged |
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Janis unregistered |
posted 04-01-2001 02:46 PM
Mike, I am thinking about you and anxious to hear how your surgery went. Please keep us posted! IP: Logged |
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Mike Member |
posted 04-01-2001 11:05 PM
The surgery went well. They found a hole in the inner ear and were able to patch it with a graph from the side of my head. As you can imagine ear surgery is quite in depth and so I am on lots of medication and the pain was significant at first. Since the first ENT did not put two and two together and determine that the cause was probably a hole in the inner ear it may all be for nothing. When the inner ear drains from a hole the hairs inside dry up and die. The longer they go without fluid the lower the chances of recovery. I went a little over two weeks! This is considered a long time to have those hairs without fluid keeping them healthy. I go back in on Friday to have the stiches removed and try the first hearing test. I have not noticed a change (100% loss previous to surgery) and the tinnitus is still driving me crazy!!! The key to SSHL is to find a DR. willing to work fast and furious or your chances of recovery are slim to none. I'll update the post after my hearing test on Friday. Good Luck to all those out there looking for solutions to their SSHL. I hope you find results... IP: Logged |
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Cathy Member |
posted 04-02-2001 08:25 PM
Mike it's good news to hear that you are on the way to recovery. Glad to hear that your new Doctor was able to diagnose your problem. Hope you feel a whole lot better. IP: Logged |
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kgm32 unregistered |
posted 04-05-2001 01:07 PM
I was too recently diagnosed with SSHL and am very scared. I am glad they found the problem and repaired it, I hope it works. I have about 50 % hearing loss in my right ear and ringing as well. It has been 7 weeks now do I do not think much can be done. My prayers will be for you and all others like us to obtain recovery. IP: Logged |
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Mike Member |
posted 04-06-2001 11:33 PM
Well...I went in for my first post operation hearing test. It seems that I have gained back 15%. This is still considered severe, but it does raise the hope that I will gain enough back to wear a hearing aid and make the left side functional again. For now I have to keep taking a lot of meds and play the waiting game. i hope everyone is doing well and please post any solutions that have worked for you. I'm willing to try anything at this point. I am most interested in stopping the Tinnitus. It still is driving me crazy! IP: Logged |
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juliebeth unregistered |
posted 04-28-2001 11:31 PM
hello...I just was surfing out here and caught your story. I am in the same boat (the titanic ha ha). I was born with 100% hearing loss in my right ear. For 29 years I was able to get by. Then just shy of my 30th birthday, I woke up and couldn't hear. I lost 50% in my left (good ) ear. I was in a panic as I am a mom and an elementary school teacher. I need my hearing. My wonderful husband took me to a specialist and we did the prednisone and it didn't work. Now I completely rely on my hearing aid. My doctor says it is only time before I will have the cochlear. It is tough having to be in the workforce and not being able to hear. The biggest struggle is people's impatience with my hearing problem. Any thoughts? IP: Logged |
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Mike Member |
posted 04-29-2001 03:14 AM
Julibeth...I am not sure cochlear is the route to take. From what I have read the technology is not very good. My hope lies in the stem cell research taking place in Europe. For those people like myself who have a loss as a result of dead hair cells in the inner ear, this will be the best solution. They say within five years they will be able to regrow the cells in humans. As for hearing aids...my surgery has only shown a 15% gain in the bad ear. ie. 15% total hearing. With the Tinnitus this means nothing in the real world. I need to show 30% to make an aid a viable solution and even then with the tinnitus it might not help. Good luck to you and keep searching the internet for solutions! ------------------ IP: Logged |
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