Sudden Tinnitus and Hearing Loss (Unknown Cause)

[TommyZed]

I've been lurking in this forum for a few days now, alternating between hope and fear. Thought I'd introduce myself.

I'm 46, pretty much healthy and in shape. I go to concerts but I've been religious about ear plugs for over a decade now.

Last Friday I was outside cleaning my Brooklyn backyard (since we are in Coronavirus lockdown), talking to my neighbor (who was more than 6 feet away!) when suddenly I got a high-pitched sound in my left ear. Initially I thought it was something outside, but it continued when I went inside.

I soon realized that my hearing was also muffled - things didn't sound the same between my left and right ear.

Fast-forward, I did a couple video chats with doctors who recommended Flonase and Sudafed. Started taking them immediately, no change.

Then the usual - panic, anxiety, sleepless nights. Reading success stories and horror stories.

Yesterday, I did an online sound test and discovered that I couldn't hear anything over 5.5kHz in my left ear.

I did another doctor VC and was prescribed Prednisone. I'm waiting to take it until after I see an in-person doctor today, as I'm a little worried about taking a steroid (which reduces your immune system) with this Coronavirus thing going around (talk about bad timing).

I also got a referral to see an ENT which I'll set up next.

I guess the only thing that's important to note is that I have a deviated septum and so my left side is prone to sinus infections. I've had my left ear clogged before, but no tinnitus.

At this point I'm not sure how hopeful to be. I want to be, but the odds look against me.

Not sure if my profile/symptoms match any others...

Hugs,
Tommy

 

[HootOwl]

You need an intratympanic steroid injection ASAP. Not oral, the shot.

SSHL above 5 kHz in one ear should be considered an emergency and a qualified ENT/otologist will treat it as such. First get an audiogram and see how bad the loss is and go from there.

It sounds like the chances of your hearing loss (and tinnitus) being reversible is still quite high imo.

 

[JohnFox]

I also experienced something very similar to yourself, only my condition seems to be a bit more acute than yourself. I'll just tell you in brief what happened to me about 15 months ago.

In the middle of the night I woke up to a loud popping crackling noise in my head feeling like it was related to my right ear. It was very uncomfortable and when I got up I was also experiencing vertigo. I soon realized that I could hear absolutely nothing out of my right ear. The vertigo subsided after awhile and so did the extreme popping and crackling noise. But....after a few hours of waiting for things to "clear up", I realized that I still had a very annoying noise inside my head on my right side. A loud hissing staticky noise like an untuned radio.

The next morning I immediately went to an ENT doctor to get checked out. (Sudden hearing loss is considered an emergency.) I explained my symptoms to the ENT and he seemed to not be too surprised... "Yes, this is kinda rare, but I do see this, and we really don't have a reason why it happens." Oh,..great.

After going thru a complete hearing test to make official what I already knew (total loss of hearing in right ear), the ENT put me on a three week dosage of Prednisone. After three weeks of oral prednisone (no effect) he submitted me to three separate sessions of Prednisone injections into the middle ear. Again, without any positive results. He told me from past experience that it didn't really matter if the injections came after the oral treatment was completed. He also said that because of my total loss of hearing that my chances for improvement were not good, but that it was worth a try anyway. BTW, I also had an MRI w/contrast to rule out a tumor, blood clot, stroke, etc.. Again, all negative. Everything appears healthy in my ears and brain.

Where am I at now, 15 months later? Now I am living with no hearing on my right side, significant Tinnitus (on right side), and Hyperacusis in my left ear...(extreme sensitivity to noise which also fuels the Tinnitus noise). Yea, I know...bummer. My learning to cope with this new world is a whole other post. It's complicated.

Wish I could give you better news, but again, I don't think your case is as severe as my own. And because your hearing loss is not total, you may be a much better candidate for Prednisone treatment. From everything I have learned (and Ive learned a lot) the sooner you get on the Prednisone the better.

 

[matthew_bk]

Hey @TommyZed, been a long time since this thread. Have any update? I'm a fellow Brooklynite who just got on prednisone and looking for some positive stories.

 

[TommyZed]

Hey Matthew. Sorry to hear about your situation. It's been 11 months for me and the pain and fear are real.

So, not much great news on my side. The Prednisone totally messed up my stomach and I wound up having stomach issues for about 4 or 5 months. Had to eventually get an endoscopy and was on meds for months. I would recommend (what the doctors didn't tell me) is if you have any stomach issues on it, to take pills for it. Omeprazole worked wonders for me, but I didn't find out about it until later (talk to your doctor).

Anyway, my hearing - I guess all I can say is that it's not as bad as a lot of people, so I'm grateful for that. I did have some recovery around 6 kHz - whether this was because of the Prednisone or not, we will never know. If you have an honest doctor, they will tell you that Prednisone is only a "best guess" and the data that it does anything is limited - but it's all you got, so do it.

Anyway, my hearing still disappears around 6.3 kHz (as of my last test, which was at the 6 months mark). The tinnitus and sound distortions are the most annoying to me (especially the tinnitus) - the hearing loss itself isn't a big deal for me. Granted, I haven't gone to any concerts since the pandemic, so the hearing loss may be more noticeable then.

I would also recommend that you talk to your friends about it. I was amazed at how many friends had it earlier or had other hearing issues. Several friends even got SSNHL since I did - it seems like it's more and more common these days (COVID-19?)... or maybe it's just me and my friends are getting older (tho one friend is only 29 and she now has a hearing aid).

The hardest thing I thought is feeling alone - since it's a disease that no one can see, most people "forget" you have it and therefore don't realize what you're going through.

I wish you the best. I have a few friends who recovered 100%, but many who did not. It's a flip of the coin IMHO.

Best,
Tommy

 

[Andrew21]

Hello, I think your case is the most similar to mine that I've read. Suddenly had a loss of hearing one Saturday night whilst listening to music. I didnt know anything about steroids or SSHL so just left it too late for that.
However, my hearing did seem to come back itself over the next few days to about 5000hz only though.

Had to go to a private ENT here in Scotland as the waiting list for NHS was far too long and he told a similar story to you - that steroids are hit and miss and that possibly the hearing you do get back you would get with or without them.

Anyway, just over 3.5 months for me now - T is more like a quiet hiss which i only really here in quiet rooms, with no aural fullness or Hyperacusis. It doesnt affect my sleep so its possibly a mild variety compared to others, or maybe I'm just getting used to it!

Anyway best of luck with your case, and I hope you recover

Cheers

Andrew