Hearing Loss and Constant Ringing in One Ear

[Stormywen]

Hi everyone,
Yesterday when I woke up everything was normal. In the afternoon I started noticing that my hearing was muffled in my left ear and shortly after that I developed a constant high pitched sound in that ear. It kind of sounds like the humming of a light or something. I went to bed hoping it would be gone this morning.
Today when I got up it was worse than when I went to sleep. The noise is louder and still constant and my hearing is even worse in that ear. If I try to talk on the phone with that ear I can tell that someone's talking but their voice sounds crackly so I can't make out the words.
Nobody in my doctor's office could see me today so I called our ENT office. They said I need a hearing test first so I have an appointment to do that tomorrow morning.
Is there something else I can be doing while I wait? Is the hearing going to keep getting worse?

P.S. I forgot to add that I have no pain and no cold symptoms either.

 

[attheedgeofscience]

Is there something else I can be doing while I wait? Is the hearing going to keep getting worse?

SSHL is a potential medical emergency.

 

[Stormywen]

I guess my doctor's office isn't too worried about it. At first they were going to make me wait until April for a hearing test.

 

[NiNyu]

That's 'cause most ENTs are plain stupid. Does your ear feel muffled, clogged or numb?

 

[Stormywen]

It's kind of a clogged sensation, like it's plugged. Not physically numb feeling but numb in the sense that my ear is not working well so it doesn't really feel like it's there....if that makes sense. I don't notice the ringing too much because we have a large family and it's pretty loud most of the time. LOL

 

[Lara K]

You absolutely need that hearing test ASAP! I had sudden hearing loss this last September and that was exactly how it started. I had no history of ear problems before this happened. If it is sudden hearing loss they will probably prescribe prednisone. I would imagine if your hearing test shows a hearing loss they will get you into an ENT immediately.

I don't mean to scare you, but they really recommend you start prednisone as soon as possible with sudden hearing loss. Sudden hearing loss is strange. Sometime it will resolve completely on its own. Sometimes it seems to be helped by prednisone, and sometimes you just lose hearing. I am lucky that I got most of my hearing back, but about 4 days into it I couldn't hear anything out of my left ear.

If I had it to do over again I would push to do the steroid injections into my ear as well as the prednisone, and I would also have asked about an antiviral. If you do have sudden hearing loss, I recommend working out. I know that sounds goofy, but my ear usually improved after a workout. I think it got the blood flowing to my ear.

I don't think there is anything you can do before tomorrow. It is good that you have the hearing test scheduled. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[NiNyu]

Something to consider,
http://vestibular.org/perilymph-fistula

 

[Stormywen]

The ringing is quieter this morning and the feeling of fullness in my ear is almost gone. I guess I will find out in a couple of hours if my hearing is back to normal or not.

 

[linearb]

The ringing is quieter this morning and the feeling of fullness in my ear is almost gone. I guess I will find out in a couple of hours if my hearing is back to normal or not.

keep an eye on it, definitely get a hearing test if you have any concerns, but if things go back to normal then don't let horror stories from here faze you too much. The symptoms you're describing can have a lot of different causes, and I think SSHL is pretty far down that list.

I had these symptoms last fall and was in quite a panic that my T was worsening -- in fact I had a piece of earwax stuck to the outside of my eardrum.

Do you have any jaw pain/tension/clicking? TMJ problems are a huge cause of the fullness sensation, and can even cause (temporary) shifts in hearing thresholds....

 

[jraulc_11]

This happen to me January 2014. Heard a loud pop but didnt think it was something important but a couple days later my left ear started ringing. It hasn't stop since.

 

[jraulc_11]

I do have slight hearing loss to my left ear so I think thats what causing my T.

 

[Lara K]

That is great that it seems to be getting better! Hopefully they will also take a look in your ear to see if you have any wax. I wasn't trying to scare you with a horror story, it is just that I had never even heard of SSHL, and I wish I would have know more and insisted on getting into the ENT sooner. If your hearing goes back to normal then I wouldn't worry about it anymore either. Sounds promising!

 

[Stormywen]

There's no wax or fluid in my ears and my hearing test is within normal limits. The hearing loss that I was experiencing yesterday is gone and the ringing is quiet enough that it is not bothering me today. I am getting a referral to an ENT anyway and they said if this ever happens again that they can get me in immediately. I am so thankful that it has resolved on it's own for now!

 

[Lara K]

I am glad that everything is looking good for you If they didn't see anything wrong with your ear and your hearing is normal that seems like a good sign that things are going to resolve. BTW, I like the cat in your avatar.

 

[1MW]

Start immediatelly corticosteroids you had partial sportaneuous recovery.
If you start corticosteroids immediately you some changes to recover 100%.
SSNHL is super emergency ... you ENT is stupid must change job.

 

[Stormywen]

Saw the ENT today and he said that he is pretty sure it was SSHL but since everything is back to normal he can't prove it. I'm supposed to avoid loud noises for a month and come in immediately if it happens again or if I get worsening tinnitus or dizziness.

 

[Lara K]

I was told that quite often SSHL resolves on its own. The prednisone would only help if your body was still trying to fight the virus by lowering the inflamation. It sounds like your body fought it off on its own, otherwise you would have hearing loss. It sounds like things are fine now.

 

[1MW]

Saw the ENT today and he said that he is pretty sure it was SSHL but since everything is back to normal he can't prove it. I'm supposed to avoid loud noises for a month and come in immediately if it happens again or if I get worsening tinnitus or dizziness.

Everything is back to normal when you T stop 100% you have no H and no sound distortion.
If you have T or something different to your hearing you have damage.
Except from drug treatment avoid any sound exposure for 1 month, medium sounds for 6 months
and get full sleep (> 8 hours per day) for next 3 months with no exceptions.

 

[Jarod]

I found the answers to late and now my life sucks from sshl. I was googling and everything and somehow i missed the sshl stuff about my hearing lose.

 

[Danny Boy]

I found the answers to late and now my life sucks from sshl. I was googling and everything and somehow i missed the sshl stuff about my hearing lose.

That sucks mate....Hope you find peace within your inner self.

 

[Faroo]

I have almost everything similar to that of 'Stormywen'. 2 days back i was out of bed, having my tea and suddenly my right ear got plugged. It was strange to me as it normally happens when i travel by air or go to high altitudes. I went to sleep again and then i woke up, i was hearing Tnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Tnnnnnnn whistling in that ear. There was no pain, nothing but feeling of blocked. I saw the doctor and he said things are normal but when he did a hearing test, there he found hearing loss. I took the medications he has given (Betaserc & Prednisolon) and felt good the day next. But today again the situation is same. Tnnnnnnn sound with feeling of blocked ear. Doctor said to come back after a week and keep taking medicines. I'm bit scared. Can anyone tell, how simple or how complex this problem is. Thankyou!

 

[GregCA]

Can anyone tell, how simple or how complex this problem is.

It's pretty complex, unfortunately.
What does your audiogram look like?
Are your losses sensorineural or conductive? (or mixed?)

 

[Marsolick]

So last week I heard a faint pop and now I have barely any hearing in my left ear, and don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

 

[GregCA]

So last week I heard a faint pop and now I have barely any hearing in my left ear, and don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

Yes, go see a doctor at your earliest convenience.

 

[1MW]

So last week I heard a faint pop and now I have barely any hearing in my left ear, and don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

Sudden hearing loss is an emergency. You must immediately take corticosteroids in big doses.