Forum challenge: What type of hearing loss do I have?

[AB1]

I challenge forum users to tell me what kind of hearing loss I have. My audiologist hasn’t been able to tell me for sure what she thinks it is.

I remember having a tic as an adolescent where I would compulsively pop my ears. I did this hard enough to cause a nose bleed once or twice. The ENT I saw later in life didn’t seem concerned about this, but I still wonder if it had a role in my hearing loss.

I’m 44 years old and the audiogram I posted is not substantially different than the oldest test I can find from when I was 31. I don’t remember experiencing any sudden loss of hearing. I recall at age 18 realizing I couldn’t understand a professor in a lecture hall without my glasses because I was reading lips. I don’t recall anyone telling me anything was wrong with my hearing when I had regular screenings as a kid in school.

I saw an ENT doctor before getting my first hearing aids at age 39 and no medical issues were identified. I don’t have any history of known infections or illnesses that could cause hearing loss. Earlier in life, I was occasionally exposed to fairly loud music before I had the sense to protect my ears. I have an uncle who has struggled with hearing loss since childhood with no cause identified.

[Neville]

No bone line, but I am assuming no substantial conductive loss given the confuguration. Normal hearing in childhood with slow progressive loss later. Your hearing loss is likely genetic. cCMV can also cause later progressive loss, but it doesn’t usually look so symmetrical.

We’re sending young adults with hearing loss for genetic testing where I am now (kids have been getting it for a while). It doesn’t always yield anything as we don’t know all the genetics associated with hearing loss, but sometimes it does. The best way to figure out whether that is an option in your area might be to call a pediatric audiologist, particularly in a larger centre/children’s hospital.

If you have children or nephews/neices, I’d suggest regular testing for them. At least every 2-3 years unless something comes up, in which case annually.

[Red]

AB1,
Just out of curiosity, has your doctor done a thorough check of your Eustachian tubes? One relative had a ‘pinched’ Eustachian tube and thought he was going deaf. For years he had diminished hearing until a doctor found the issue. He had to have a bone shaved but his hearing was restored afterwards.
The other thing that you may want to ask your doctor about is the shape of your ear canals. My family and I always thought that my SSD was due to Spinal Meningitis as a baby, but a doctor later in life explained to me that my bad ear had a deformed canal and so it was probably a birth defect.

[user490]

How is your hearing in noise versus quiet? Are hearing aids helping or not so much? Have you had an ABR to rule out auditory neuropathy? You may have a mixed issue now with higher frequency loss from noise exposure and mid-frequency loss with long-term challenges being from a different cause.

[Neville]

Conductive issues and/or Eustachian tube dysfunction don’t typically create symmetrical sloping high frequency loss.

[Don]

Do you mean what caused it? Or how it appears. It appears to be moderately sloping?

Did you use headphones when young?

[AB1]

Great questions and insights! I’ll respond to some below. And I’m posting my full test results.

I haven’t had a thorough check of my eustachian tubes. I want to say they work properly. My ears easily pop when changing altitude and I know what it feels like when they are occasionally congested when I have a cold.

I’ve never been told there is anything wrong with my hear canals. I’ve had my PCP, audiologist, and ENT look in them.

Without my hearing aids, my hearing in noise is bad and less bad in quiet. My hearing aids help hugely.

I have not had an ABR.

Yes, I really mean to ask what folks think caused my hearing loss.

I sometimes used headphones when I was young. I don’t remember using excessive volume, but looking that far back, I’m not so sure.