So, here are my audiograms from June 2017 and July 2016, approximately 1 year's worth of changes. As I suspected I have lost a sizeable portion of my hearing in the low frequencies, and some as well in the higher frequencies. 6kHz was not tested, but I have a good feeling the notch found there has worsened in both ears as well.
July 2016:
June 2017:
I also recently went to a (stupid?) physical therapist, who supposedly specialized in hearing disorders and treating them. I had a number of serious problems with her, for one because she treated me like a dumb slobbering animal (she likely picked up on the autism and so treated me like a (insert r word here)), and didn't ask permission before touching me or asking sensitive questions. I had a PTSD attack because of her, had a bad migraine that ate more of my hearing and balance, all due to her inability to leave me alone and not do X like I asked.
She also came to incredibly questionable conclusions as to the status of my inner ear health.
She claimed that my ears had totally healed after the firecracker incident a few years ago and that my ears were exceptionally healthy.
She then completely ignored my complaints of pressure, vertigo, extreme pressure sensitivity, low and high tinnitus, and the obvious hearing loss that was on the audiogram. She also ignored every other neurologic problem I complained about, including the proven dysautonomia and likely cervical spine problems.
I told her sternly that my hearing had been completely within the -10 dB range only 5 years ago, to which she still explained nothing had happened to my inner ears and that it was all in my head.
She blamed everything on an auditory processing disorder or a migraine disrupting my central processing. I do have the former as a complication of autism, but I was aware of the problems it presented me with before and none of those included straight up hearing loss or balance problems.
Here are the things that are troubling me about what she said:
1. No, my ears never healed after that firecracker and the notches were preserved in the right ear, and eventually disintegrated. All of my audiograms up to the present demonstrate this.
2. That hearing within the 'normal' range, even if it's borderline, means my ears are completely healthy and that I don't need help (extremely harmful convention supported by too many ENT practices). Didn't matter that I was fully aware of previous acoustic traumas because they apparently did nothing?
3. There is low frequency hearing loss that has been preserved throughout the past 5 or so audiograms I have done over the last 10 months. That was not there a year ago and never was before, and the loss of all bass in my music further proves that it is not an artifact. The low frequency tinnitus is another worrying sign commonly present in peripheral inner ear problems.
4. That migraine can't directly damage the inner ear and cause something like hydrops. Migraines just cause auditory processing problems (literature disagrees with her statement completely; they can damage the inner ear and even contribute to something like Meniere's disease).
5. That my body is overreactive and that I should do all the things that trigger hearing loss, tinnitus, ear pressure, and vertigo, just to get my body used to things.
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Anyway, thoughts, concerns about this so-called diagnosis? About why my hearing is still going down?
I would like to hear them very much! I'm also thinking of writing a letter of complaint, so any fact hunting and personal stories of similar misdiagnoses would be helpful!
July 2016:
June 2017:
I also recently went to a (stupid?) physical therapist, who supposedly specialized in hearing disorders and treating them. I had a number of serious problems with her, for one because she treated me like a dumb slobbering animal (she likely picked up on the autism and so treated me like a (insert r word here)), and didn't ask permission before touching me or asking sensitive questions. I had a PTSD attack because of her, had a bad migraine that ate more of my hearing and balance, all due to her inability to leave me alone and not do X like I asked.
She also came to incredibly questionable conclusions as to the status of my inner ear health.
She claimed that my ears had totally healed after the firecracker incident a few years ago and that my ears were exceptionally healthy.
She then completely ignored my complaints of pressure, vertigo, extreme pressure sensitivity, low and high tinnitus, and the obvious hearing loss that was on the audiogram. She also ignored every other neurologic problem I complained about, including the proven dysautonomia and likely cervical spine problems.
I told her sternly that my hearing had been completely within the -10 dB range only 5 years ago, to which she still explained nothing had happened to my inner ears and that it was all in my head.
She blamed everything on an auditory processing disorder or a migraine disrupting my central processing. I do have the former as a complication of autism, but I was aware of the problems it presented me with before and none of those included straight up hearing loss or balance problems.
Here are the things that are troubling me about what she said:
1. No, my ears never healed after that firecracker and the notches were preserved in the right ear, and eventually disintegrated. All of my audiograms up to the present demonstrate this.
2. That hearing within the 'normal' range, even if it's borderline, means my ears are completely healthy and that I don't need help (extremely harmful convention supported by too many ENT practices). Didn't matter that I was fully aware of previous acoustic traumas because they apparently did nothing?
3. There is low frequency hearing loss that has been preserved throughout the past 5 or so audiograms I have done over the last 10 months. That was not there a year ago and never was before, and the loss of all bass in my music further proves that it is not an artifact. The low frequency tinnitus is another worrying sign commonly present in peripheral inner ear problems.
4. That migraine can't directly damage the inner ear and cause something like hydrops. Migraines just cause auditory processing problems (literature disagrees with her statement completely; they can damage the inner ear and even contribute to something like Meniere's disease).
5. That my body is overreactive and that I should do all the things that trigger hearing loss, tinnitus, ear pressure, and vertigo, just to get my body used to things.
--------
Anyway, thoughts, concerns about this so-called diagnosis? About why my hearing is still going down?
I would like to hear them very much! I'm also thinking of writing a letter of complaint, so any fact hunting and personal stories of similar misdiagnoses would be helpful!
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