Can't Do It Anymore

[derpytia]

I'm really sorry to hear you're still struggling.

Do you have family members that are also deaf or have hearing issues? For some of us, it really does sound like there is a genetic predisposition (curse) to be more susceptible to noise damage.

My great uncle on my mother's side has tinnitus and hearing loss but nothing to the degree that I have it. There's more of a prevalence of cancer and Gaucher's (people on my mother's side have Ashkenazi Jewish heritage but my grandmother married and had my mother outside that gene pool and my mother had me with someone outside that gene pool as well so the chance that this is because of that heritage is slim to none) than hearing loss.

What I do know is that my mother's body almost aborted me 7 months into her pregnancy but (mercifully she says, ha) it didn't happen. Her obstetrician back then told her that though nothing showed up on the tests, that it could be a sign that "nature was trying to take care of things" and that I would be born with some other defect (which obvs turned out to be true). My mother was also 37 at the time and I was her first baby so doctors already told her early on that a million things could go wrong because of that.

Doesn't help that my father was a mechanic and was exposed to lots and lots of hazardous chemicals all the time. But, go figure, his side of the family is all perfectly healthy (with the exception of my cousin's non-epileptic seizures caused by years of drug abuse as a teen)...

Of course I also have Visual Snow Syndrome (started after tinnitus) as well as Ocular Migraines (those started in high school) so who tf knows. My entire genetic makeup might just be 50 shades of messed tf up.

In short, two people who probably should have been more careful (I was not planned) were not careful and crappy genes combined with crappy time/age/circumstances to give birth dealt me a ridiculously cruel fate.

 

[JohnAdams]

What happened to you being the number one fan of Frequency Therapeutics? Not so confident now all of a sudden?

This gives me even less hope

I have great confidence in them still.

 

[Bam]

I have great confidence in them still.

I wish they would make some positive noises in our direction every now and then. They're about as encouraging as a pissed off hooker.

 

[DebInAustralia]

@another sean

Come on dude, I've been at this for five freaking years! Of course I use ear muffs when I go out!!!

I barely eat enough as it is because of money issues. I don't think fasting is going to do many any damn bit of good. I already didn't eat anything yesterday and today because of how low I am.

There's no place in the United States that does anything with stem cells because its BANNED.

I realize you are trying to give me good advice out of the goodness of your heart but I've been a sufferer for five years and been on here for five years. Please please please use your brain and consider these things before you post.

What about Mexico?

 

[Bam]

My entire genetic makeup might just be 50 shades of messed tf up.

You turned out smart and funny though. Often a curse in itself unfortunately.

 

[Tinker Bell]

I lost more hearing on the 20th (even though I was wearing earplugs the entire time) and my tinnitus has increased a hundred fold. No masking because I can't even hear whispers anymore. I'm slowly going deaf and there's nothing I can do about it. My ears are so easily damaged it's insane and unbearable.

I am so sorry to read all this. How does your audiogram after the hearing loss on Dec. 20 compare to previous audiograms? If it was a significant loss, you should have been prescribed prednisone and/or intratympanic steroid injections. You are still within the window where these efforts are prescribed.

You mentioned sound exposure, but on another thread you said you have frequent ear infections. It's very possible your ear infection in late November contributed. Did it clear up? It can take a few months to improve.

Unfortunately it can also take time for damage from ear infections, viruses, etc. to be fully evident. I lost my hearing a couple weeks after a virus (which included fluid in my ears), and my doctors closely monitored me for months out of concern that more damage would appear. I've been told that with ear infections and viruses it can take time for hearing to drop, something about acoustic emissions drop before audiogram results.

If you have any remaining swelling, it's very likely impacting your hearing.

 

[Zeneth]

I still think there is so much more for you to try, for all of us to try.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

You mentioned sound exposure, but on another thread you said you have frequent ear infections. It's very possible your ear infection in late November contributed. Did it clear up? It can take a few months to improve.

Unfortunately it can also take time for damage from ear infections, viruses, etc. to be fully evident. I lost my hearing a couple weeks after a virus (which included fluid in my ears), and my doctors closely monitored me for months out of concern that more damage would appear. I've been told that with ear infections and viruses it can take time for hearing to drop, something about acoustic emissions drop before audiogram results.

If you have any remaining swelling, it's very likely impacting your hearing.

@derpytia Have you had complete blood and urine testing of over 60 values. Something is causing your ear infections where possible fluids are being directed to the ears. Research on this can lead in thousands of directions.

Just a few thoughts with mentions from @Tinker Bell
Thyroid blood tests.
Dental consideration - This can be a very involved subject where one aspect could involve nerves, joints, bones of mouth, face and neck. Facial soreness.
Do you ever have any pulsatile sounds.
Is your salvia normal.

Genetic changes
Any change in hair color over many years.
You seem to have full eye brows. Loss of eye brows can sometimes show a genetic change, but genetics is complicated as with anything else associated to tinnitus. Hearing loss genetic has a possible (300 causes). Usually 80% of the time it's one of four cause diseases that can show up in the thirties. Being a female at around thirty years old or older with full eye brows, non hair changing color, or non facial discomfort mostly seems to rule out any disease that mentioned in data bases.

Environmental - another difficult area to determine. One chemical can be cause up to 20% with your situation. I don't think that you smoke, but smoking can certainly be highly related.

Infection - hidden infection caused from anything including dental is very possible and may not show easily and for some time as Tinker Bell as mentioned.

 

[Tinniger]

Do you have bilateral or unilateral tinnitus?
How does your tinnitus sound, more like a tone, or more like a hiss?
Do you have better and worse days?
Is there anything, what has an influence to your tinnitus?
Is there somatic influence?
Sounds your tinnitus sometimes synchrone with your heart beat.
Why do you call hearing loss and ETD as causes. Both things are very different?

 

[vttbx]

I think I'll pass. They advocated for nothing more than hearing aids and TRT.

Are you saying you called them and that's what they told you over the phone?

 

[Alue]

My great uncle on my mother's side has tinnitus and hearing loss but nothing to the degree that I have it. There's more of a prevalence of cancer and Gaucher's (people on my mother's side have Ashkenazi Jewish heritage but my grandmother married and had my mother outside that gene pool and my mother had me with someone outside that gene pool as well so the chance that this is because of that heritage is slim to none) than hearing loss.

What I do know is that my mother's body almost aborted me 7 months into her pregnancy but (mercifully she says, ha) it didn't happen. Her obstetrician back then told her that though nothing showed up on the tests, that it could be a sign that "nature was trying to take care of things" and that I would be born with some other defect (which obvs turned out to be true). My mother was also 37 at the time and I was her first baby so doctors already told her early on that a million things could go wrong because of that.

Doesn't help that my father was a mechanic and was exposed to lots and lots of hazardous chemicals all the time. But, go figure, his side of the family is all perfectly healthy (with the exception of my cousin's non-epileptic seizures caused by years of drug abuse as a teen)...

Of course I also have Visual Snow Syndrome (started after tinnitus) as well as Ocular Migraines (those started in high school) so who tf knows. My entire genetic makeup might just be 50 shades of messed tf up.

In short, two people who probably should have been more careful (I was not planned) were not careful and crappy genes combined with crappy time/age/circumstances to give birth dealt me a ridiculously cruel fate.

That's one of a number of reasons I don't want kids. I don't feel the need to pass on my genes, I'm afraid I'd be setting up my future children for a harder life. That and kids are loud!

It would be nice if we could identify genetic markers that predispose one to hearing loss.

 

[another sean]

@another sean

Come on dude, I've been at this for five freaking years! Of course I use ear muffs when I go out!!!

I barely eat enough as it is because of money issues. I don't think fasting is going to do many any damn bit of good. I already didn't eat anything yesterday and today because of how low I am.

There's no place in the United States that does anything with stem cells because its BANNED.

I realize you are trying to give me good advice out of the goodness of your heart but I've been a sufferer for five years and been on here for five years. Please please please use your brain and consider these things before you post.

@derpytia I've never seen you mention ear muffs so I wasn't going to assume. A lot of people dont wear them because they are self conscious on how they look.

And you are wrong about stem cells being banned in the United States. Stem cells harvested from your own fat or bone marrow, is not banned and is commonly used in orthopedic issues. I spent a few minutes googling a nearby stem cell clinic near Rescue, CA and there is one 36 miles away called SAC Regenerative Orthopedics. They may or may not treat you unless you have a orthopedic injury so that needs to be asked but its just one example of a place that does administer stem cell in the US and not terribly from you.

https://www.sacsportsmed.com/services/stem-cell-treatments

 

[another sean]

*terribly far from you.