COVID hearing loss reversal? Any ideas?

Hearing Loss
21

Yes, but this applies mainly to completely deaf users. I can tune my guitar by ear using a 440 Hz tuning fork (CI - left + HA - right) and after tuning and checking out of curiosity in the tuner application, my error was max 2-4 cents.

Even when I take off my hearing aid and leave the CI on the left, I can still fine-tune it, despite quite loud input from the CI. I couldn’t tune it better with HA only (without sound processor), the error will be probably the same.

So you’ll still have a better ear for music, even if you still have CI on the other ear, and you still have a chance to hear speech better.

So if you haven’t terminal illness, you’re probably quite eligible for CI (if you have poor word recognition). There is many patients who has surgery after 80. So the age isn’t a contraindication.

22

If you don’t feel comfortable you don’t feel comfortable. Glad it’s on your radar as an option. 79 for one person can be very different from 79 for another person. There is absolutely a different calculation going on if you have one good ear and one bad one in your fifties versus in your seventies. Two bad ears would be different.

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23

And if your poorer ear is treatable by hearing aid, because of relatively good WRS, HA is definitely a better option.

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24

The better (but still bad) ear is treatable with a hearing aid, but it’s still pretty lousy. My audio tweaked the HA to the other ear, but it’s still quite dull.

CI might be a solution, but at 79 I don’t think so. The cost would probably be prohibitive. I’d hate to put a big dent in my nest egg right now.

In time, I might change my mind. (Never say never)

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25

What hearing aids do you have? Did your Audi proceed with the Real-Ear Measurement (REM) and fitting based on it? Do you have domes or custom earmolds?

Okay, I’m sorry, I forgot about nuances with Medicare and didn’t know that it will not reimburse you for the cochlear implantation procedure. I don’t know if there
are any differences between states, perhaps @Raudrive knows better about it. He has CI bilaterally refunded.

26

Pretty sure this is Medicare covered…. Have you requested/gotten an estimate for your out of pocket?

WH

27

Long covid is associated with Eustachian tube dysfunction, resulting in hearing loss or dizziness (see e.g. this paper, just out: https://casereports.bmj.com/content/18/6/e265008.full, and “Inflammation of the Eustachian tube often results in an acute buildup of fluid in the middle ear space", https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2022/03/can-covid-19-cause-hearing-loss).

Did you ask your ENT to closely examine your ET?

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Fluid in the middle ear is easy for a GP to miss, but pretty hard to miss for an audiologist or an ENT.

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29

Thank you !!!

No, but I will.

I have had a bit of trouble clearing the ET from time to time.

I’m thinking I might need a new ET. The original doc retired, and they went corporate. I haven’t had the same quality of service since. But my Insurance covers so few doctors.

I sometimes wish I had been born in Europe, Australia or any country that has either socialized or nationalized medicine. But it does no good to wish for that, and the oligarchs that really run the USA want huge profits, and nothing else, so we’re stuck with for-profit treatment. (sorry for the minor rant)

The ET thing is something definitely to follow up on.

Thanks again.

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30

I feel left out on behalf of Canada, and we’re so close to you. :laughing::laughing:

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31

Don’t feel left out, I love Canada and the Canadian people. The Canadians are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered, and I’ve traveled to 6 of the 7 continents.

Example: When in Labrador, We were in a small, local diner, talking to some folks, and mentioned I planned to see some whales on this trip. A woman got on the phone, hung up, got her two kids together, and said “Follow Me”. We drove a winding path with many turns. Finally, we got to a beach and nothing was there, she got on the phone and said, “They’ve moved” and we followed her again.

We were at another beach, the capelins (small fish) were running, the whales were stuffing themselves and were so close we were getting splashed, and could smell their fish breath. The seagulls were so stuffed they just sat on the shore. It was wonderful! And she gave us directions to the nearest highway so we could find our way. That’s rare anywhere.

We’ve been to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, and Yukon. We’re thinking about Alberta next. The wife and I love to travel, and we have no children to anchor us.

I have only one problem with Canada, the weather. It’s way too cold in the winter for this Florida guy. If it wasn’t, I’d already be there (if they would let us in).

Back on topic.

I’ll be calling my ENT Monday. If she doesn’t do anything, I’ll go for a second opinion. I am doing a lot of Eustachian Tube clearing, and when it’s blocked, the ear is really dull. It’s a long shot, but perhaps there is something that can be done to get my ears back.

I’m a musician, and coping with this, but it does make performing more difficult.

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32

Fingers crossed for only the auditory tube problem! Does your bony audiogram have a maximum of 10 dB difference from the air graph?

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33

Yes- very interesting point. After the misery of WWII there was a brief window of general social cohesion where many countries introduced great institutions: the NHS in the UK, the Sécurité Sociale in France, basic universal old age pensions, unemployment support and, yes, Medicare and Medicaid in the US for example. One might also add institutions like the UN, NATO and WHO. Today all of these are shamefully neglected (e.g. the NHS) or bled to death (WHO), and implementing any new “solidarity laws” is nigh impossible (think the mindless Republican war against Obamacare, immigration hysteria). While the descent of the US today is the most dramatic, this general return to inequality and every man/woman/country for themself is, sadly, a global trend.

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34

That’s been happening in the last 15 years and was a deliberate political choice. The current administration is seeking to restore some of the losses, but it’s always more expensive to build up a service from scratch than properly maintain it. In 2010 people were actually making complaints that their Dr needed to see them ‘to soon and too often’ in the right wing media.

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35

I’ll have to ask. I do remember getting the bone conduction test. I’ll assume there wasn’t a big difference, or the audi would have noticed. But it doesn’t hurt to ask, we all make mistakes from time to time.

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36

ENT with the real doctor (not the P.A.) today.

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37

My ENT went corporate, and there is another new doc. I don’t particularly like him, he isn’t a listener. I prefer a doc I can discuss things with. I’m sure he knows his stuff, but it’s just not a good mix for me.

He is scheduling an MRI which is probably a good thing to do, it’ll either find a problem or eliminate one.

When I get the MRI done, I’ll go to another doc for a second opinion, I have a recommendation, and he isn’t corporate, and if I like him, I’ll switch.

I’ve been going to this ENT place for 20 or more years. The doctor retired and although the Audiologist is the same, this is the second new doc I’ve seen. You get 15 minutes with the doc, and that’s it.

I prefer a private practice where I get to know the doc, he or she gets to know me.

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38

Ask if this will be a 3-Tesla one (more accurate imaging) or 1.5-Tesla.

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39

Thanks for the advice!

I’m hoping it’s something that can be fixed. I’m adjusting to the loss, but as a musician, I have to concentrate harder, which affects the music expression a bit.

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40

OK, the MRI is set for next week, two different contrast options.

A week after seeing the new ENT, we called Radiology and the ENT never sent the MRI order over to Radiology. So we called the ENT and demanded that they send it immediately and followed up.

Once I get that, I’ll also be getting a second opinion from another doc, and if I like him, switch.

Ever since my old ENT retired, and the place went corporate instead of private practice, the quality of service went down. Waiting 2 months to see the doc when I said I was having big trouble with my right ear, in retrospect, was inexcusable. If it was long COVID, the steroids might have worked.

But you can’t go back, just learn from the past, so I’ll reassess after the MRI, and have two docs look at the results.

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