The steroids didn’t work. ENT is running out of ideas, says it might just take time, but it might be permanent.
Anyone have any ideas on how to reverse it?
I thought I recovered quickly, but some months later my hearing in one ear gained another 10db loss.
When SSHL took place?
A few months after. I thought my right hearing aids were malfunctioning, made an appointment with the assistant, who scheduled a hearing test and ENT’s PA but they were full for a couple of months.
The first thing the PA asked was if I had COVID. I told her some months ago, I couldn’t be sure. And she said it’s common for this to occur even as far as a year after COVID.
My hearing has been stable for decades, so this sudden drop in one ear is very disturbing.
So I’m grasping on straws, and wondering what I can do? I’m probably going to find another ENT for a second opinion, but who, depends on my insurance.
If I get some good info here, I’ll be better prepared to ask the new ENT intelligent questions.
I mean how long time ago. Last week? A 3 months ago? In this sense.
It’s hard to say exactly. From the time I noticed it, to the delay for the first appointment and the delay to the second appointment, probably 4 months or so. The steroids were prescribed last month, and finished early this month, with no noticeable change.
The next available appointment is in August.
I’m thinking about changing the ENT. I like the people, especially the audiologist, and I have been using them for years, but since the original doctor retired, and they went corporate, I’m just not as happy. The delays are too long, and I don’t seem to be getting the attention I want.
So I’m researching other ENT options. I’ll go for a second opinion, and if I like the new ENT, I’ll probably move.
I’m not a fan of corporate medicine. My dentist retired and they did the same thing, and I ended up finding a new dentist. Of course, that could only be my bad luck with two.
I am sorry, but probably it’s nothing to be done. The treatment window for SSNHL is 1, maximum 2 month since first symptoms - the earlier, the better outcome.
In that window there is steroid therapy (transtympanal injection or in tablets) or hyperbaric oxygen therapy + supplementing possible nutritional deficiencies, e.g. B vitamins, etc.
I am a bit scared of that type of complication, So I took the opportunity to be vaccinated once a year, with new vaccines updated with the new antigen. This does not eliminate the risk of getting sick, but it significantly reduces the risk.
My left ear is deaf due to a viral infection in childhood, for which there was no vaccine at the time
I’m sorry for your loss. I’ve had two sudden sensorineural losses so can relate.
Steroids (prednisone or equivalent) have a 50% chance of restoring hearing following a sudden sensorineural loss if treatment is started with 48 hours of symptom onset.
The chance of hearing restoration drops rapidly after this and very few cases show benefit if treatment is started more than 7 days after loss onset. Your hearing now is likely where it will remain.
If your loss is now asymmetrical I recommend seeing another ENT. Other causes of asymmetric loss need to be ruled out as some of these are things that can affect your general health and you’ll want to know about them.
If your audiologist hasn’t already adjusted your hearing aids I’d ask them to do this.
I agree with the second opinion with another ENT.
I was fully vaccinated when I got COVID, and it was gone in a day, so I guess it could have been worse.
I got a dose of the antiviral (I forget the name) in the evening and by lunchtime the next day I was back to normal.
Then some months later, I noticed the right ear wasn’t hearing as well. Then the ENT office delays.
It might be permanent, but I’m not going down without looking for a solution.
It makes having conversations with people very difficult, especially in moderately noisy places or worse.
It’s permanent. Sorry. I’ve seen good CI outcomes for sudden loss.
And don’t beat yourself up about not doing something to get treatment earlier. It’s a hail mary. 50% chance of your hearing coming back if you act quickly, but 50% chance of your hearing coming back quickly if you get no treatment. The longer it doesn’t come back, the less likely it will come back regardless of treatment. The mechanisms of our current treatments make sense but the evidence isn’t strong. Because of the variability of the condition, it’s really tough to build a study with enough statistical power to even find an effect.
Covid’s a bitch.
Hmmm. So you take antiviral - probably Paxlovid - the same day when symptoms started? While COVID-19 definitely poses higher risk of SSNHL, it may as well be another causes. If you are in risk group of arteriosclerosis you may consider ultrasonography (with Doppler) of neck arteries.
We’ve had several people through since Covid who’ve developed/progressed a SSHL. Usually SN, but some have initially presented as mixed losses.
The only instances of reversal were where the steroid dose was early (within a week), but usually less. One had an 80% recovery, the other about 50%. Other times where people already had a loss , they didn’t always get intervention in time; some assumed it was mask wearing or their hearing aids not working properly.
One guy in his 30’s; no previous issues, has a flat 70dB sensorineural RHS loss, from nothing, practically overnight. Didn’t seek medical assistance at the time: truck driver. Permanent loss.
Fortunately no further progression on either ear.
Neville, I’m not going to beat myself up over what I could have or should have done earlier. I will try to learn a lesson from it, though.
Bimodal, yes, it was Paxlovid. I was on vacation, probably waited too long to see the doctor, went to the emergency room around 11 PM with hypoxia, and out by noon the nest day.
Time to move forward. I’m still researching on PubMED and even though it’s looking less likely, I’m not giving up yet.