My story

Hearing Loss
1

About ten years ago (when I was 16) my ears were exposed to very loud noise. Something bursts in my both ears. At the time doctor said it’s not a big deal, since my hearing capability was excellent so far. (I don’t have an audiogram from that testing)

Diagnose: H90.3 Hypacusis sensorinevralis gradus mediae - gravis bill

My life was the same for a few years, but when I turned 20, people started to telling me about my bad hearing. I haven’t noticed it so far, even at medical examination at college. Later I went to doctor for proper examination and my first hearing aids. I’ve been told to stay away of night clubs and other noisy places.

My life wasn’t so good anymore. I haven’t visited a single night club in years, but I also didn’t wear hearing aids to often. That was the time talking to people wasn’t a problem even without hearing aids. Little problems occured at noisy places (car, restaurant…) and places with echo sounds.

Let me just say I’ve been to several specialist (basically all in my small country) through this years, but no one helped me a bit. They all just said to avoid noise and wear hearing aids.

Last two years were so difficult for me. I don’t even remember how it all started, but since then I’m trying to avoid any loud noise as possible. That means wearing foam earplugs at restaurants, malls, car (no highway for me), driving bicycle, some sports activities in halls…(I also don’t do these things so often). It’s been very tough and depressive. Talking is also pretty difficult but somehow I manage. Even someone talking very loud next to me makes me feel of “full ears” and next day my hearing is worse (how it feels).

What should I do? Why some people with hearing loss can’t be exposed to loud noises (not the loudest) and some can be without severe further damage?

My audiogram is pretty bad:

250…500…1000…2000…3000…4000…6000…8000
R 15…15…55…85…70…80… …95…105
L 10…15…70…90…90…95…110…120

2

112 views and no one say a word? You really don’t have any solutions or suggestions?

I’ve got a couple of more questions:

  1. What protection do you use, whenever the noise is very loud and you don’t need to hear anything (mowing the lawn)?

  2. How do you deal with people who makes fun of you disability (consciously or unconsciously)? For example when you don’t hear at first and somebody mocking you something like “maybe you should clean you ears”. Yes, I know it’s hard with me, but I’m not making fun of you. People don’t give much value to “these words”, but situations like that hurts me the most.

  3. I have also compared audiograms from two different years (also two years apart) made with the same doctor. The audiogram made later is better. Not much, but some. How come?

  4. I’m also in process buying a new HA. Do you suggest me anything? Audiologists suggested me some Phonak (don’t know the name) for about 2000€, saying this is the only one for you.

— Updated —

112 views and no one say a word? You really don’t have any solutions or suggestions?

I’ve got a couple of more questions:

  1. What protection do you use, whenever the noise is very loud and you don’t need to hear anything (mowing the lawn)?

  2. How do you deal with people who makes fun of you disability (consciously or unconsciously)? For example when you don’t hear at first and somebody mocking you something like “maybe you should clean you ears”. Yes, I know it’s hard with me, but I’m not making fun of you. People don’t give much value to “these words”, but situations like that hurts me the most.

  3. I have also compared audiograms from two different years (also two years apart) made with the same doctor. The audiogram made later is better. Not much, but some. How come?

  4. I’m also in process buying a new HA. Do you suggest me anything? Audiologists suggested me some Phonak (don’t know the name) for about 2000€, saying this is the only one for you.

3

The bit of research I’ve done indicates that it’s unknown whether radiation from bluetooth and cellphones is a danger to anyone. As yet, studies are inconclusive and some even contradictory. I’m therefore not taking any special precautions.

in noisy environments when I don"t need to hear, I can either lower the volume on my hearing aids or turn them off. Someone with hearing better than I should probably take additional steps, such as using earplugs.

Generally, i find most adults considerate rather than mocking about my hearing disability. I tend to ignore negative comments and the people who make them.

i’m not sure why a more recent audiogram has better results. It depends on whether the degree of improvement is beyond any normal margin of error. A good audiologist should be able to give you reasons for the improvement.

i really can’t recommend a hearing sis for you. It depends not only on your heating loss as specified by your audiogram, but also which aids sound the best to you. There’s a certain amount of subjectivity to that. It can’t hurt to try the Phonak, but I’d find out why the audiologist thinks that’s the best HA for you. Does the audiologist sell any other brands and have extensive experience with them?

the important thing to remember is that it’s your hearing, not the audiologist’s, so your opinion counts as to which HA is best for you. Keep in mind that you want not just an excellent hearing aid, but also one that has good, easy to use accessories, should you need them. Accessories might include bluetooth streaming devices to help listen to the phone and/or TV, as well as a wireless remote microphone. It all depends on the nature of your hearing loss and what kinds of listening or communicating you need help with.

4

Well, I wasn’t trying to say a lot people are mocking me, but some of them. There are some situations where this happens and it really hurts me. I also like to ignore those, but it’s very hard and will probably be even more harder.

Sometimes I feel people think I’m joking for not hearing and they need to repeat me again or think I’m distracted or not interested, but I’m trying so hard to follow a conversation (leaning my head forward, turning opposite to speaker…). It’s because I’m pretty young? How do you deal with that? I’ve been more of a private person for all my life and telling “strangers” about my private things it’s not something I do regularly.

Last week I had some event, but I couldn’t afford to go because there would be too loud for me. So I make an excuse the last moment. My friend resented me, but when I told him it’s because my hearing and I couldn’t afford to go because health problem, he was pretty astonished saying “I didn’t know you had hearing problems”. We know each other for 15 years and he has probably noticed I don’t hear well. Why people think that hard to hear people can be in a noisy environment with no effect to their hearing (I know some of them can be, but still…)?

My doctor also gave me a note for taking care of my hearing:
It says I should not take: alcohol, nicotine, biomycin, kanamycin, streptomycin, garamycin, gentamycin, rifadin, rifocin, rimactane, obracin, amikacin, nipocin, nebacetin, guardacin, tobramicin, kinin, salicylate.

I’ve never smoke and I also don’t drink any alcohol, but I would like to drink some beer occasionally.

Whenever I get sick, my ears feel full and I don’t quite hear as good. I think. Doctor subscripted me paraffin eardrops and that was it. These drops are made for ear wax. I don’t even know who to ask anymore? What do you use? Of course I won’t use them by my self…It’s my health on the line.

Do you have any other suggestion how to avoid noise or what are the most typical mistakes you have done?

5

I am guessing but it sounds like you may have sinus drainage into your ears. I get that every once in a while. And my sister lost her hearing in on ear due to it. Be careful and I would suggest finding me another doctor and I would also suggest going to an ENT doctor. And also I would get a hearing test. Sorry I am not a doctor but I have had my own kids have issues with their ears and it is nothing to mess with.

6

Of course I’ve been to ENT doctor at my home town an also at capital town of my country, but that was it. I’ve been told to avoid noise and now I’m trying to avoid every noise as possible. Driving a car on the highway is not an option, driving on a regular road is also a problem, so I try to limit it as much as possible, but it’s very hard. I even bicycle with earplugs in and slower than 15kmh and not so often as usual. This could go on and on what I do and what I don’t do, but that’s not a solution and this kind of life is a pain in the ass, I don’t really do anything. What else should I try, where should I go? My hearing is getting worse pretty fast and I’m more worried every day.

Can you explain me sinus drainage?

What can be my hopes for the future? Let say my hearing gets worse by 5db every year. My audiogram in 10 years will probably be something like that:
250…500…1000…2000…3000…4000…6000…8000
R 50…50…100…-…100…-…-…-
L 50…50…100…-…-…-…-…-

What will I be able to hear without my HA with those low frequencies? What about modern technology? How can that help me? There are some articles about new technology and predictions, but we all know technology can’t replace natural hearing. What about other sort of treatment - steam cell etc.?

Well I’m open for everything…

7

I really do not know what to say. I am not a doctor and from here I do not know what even to say. You really need a specialist that give you more that stay away from all noise.

— Updated —

I really do not know what to say. I am not a doctor and from here I do not know what even to say. You really need a specialist that give you more that stay away from all noise.

8

if you have had ENT’s and AuD’s basically tell you the same thing I would wear the aids… You might want to specifically ask when they say loud noises are they talking concerts and bar with bands, chain saws, mowers etc… I’m not sure going about you normal daily business like malls, movies (I assume you aids have volume control) dinners, etc… if you run into something loud unexpected you can mute your aids.

— Updated —

if you have had ENT’s and AuD’s basically tell you the same thing I would wear the aids… You might want to specifically ask when they say loud noises are they talking concerts and bar with bands, chain saws, mowers etc… I’m not sure going about you normal daily business like malls, movies (I assume you aids have volume control) dinners, etc… if you run into something loud unexpected you can mute your aids.

9

Well, doctor suggested me HA and avoiding loud noise. She basically said loud concerts and “night life”. The other two specialist said the same thing. I’ve been avoiding loud concerts and all night life for a next few years, but didn’t really realize my hearing was getting worse and worse anyway. Young and stupid as I was wasn’t expecting that. I was avoiding loud noises for a whole last year, wearing earplugs as ever I felt like it and didn’t really care what other people think. My hearing get worse anyway, but not as much. The problem is, it’s so bad that every change in my hearing disrupt me even it’s small. A 10 db hearing loss from 20 to 30 db is not so noticeable as from 80 to 90 db for example.

Last week I drive on the highway about 30 km in each way. I went cause I need to go an bod was no other option. Foam earplugs were in my ears all the time. I even bought a fresh new one just for the ride with 32 db SNR. The car I was driving was a year old, so it has some sound reduction and it’s pretty modern car. But still it was to much for my hearing. I’ve notice worse hearing the next day, some more tinnitus and filling of a full ears.

No doctor wasn’t know the answer to my problem - When I swallow my saliva, I hear a loud “pop” in my ears. Sometimes it’s louder sometimes not, but when it’s loud it’s very loud. The problem is I had these for so many years I can’t even remember how it was when everything was fine.

I also visited acute brainstem potentials examination, but doctors didn’t discover anything.

ENT results:

  • speech articulation not accurate
  • clear auditory canal
  • eardrum grey, solid
  • blowhole membrane livid rosy, clear
  • oral cavity membrane rosy
  • oral pharynx membrane rosy
  • no epipharynx
  • tongue root ok
  • valeculla and piriform sinus empty
  • throat mucous membrane rosy
  • pale reeds, smooth, symmetrical flexible
  • free neck

I know this is a pretty undiscovered area, but I still expected some more. My diagnosis is basically sensorineural hearing loss, which is very general diagnose. I’m very very aware I’ll be completely deaf in future, but still want to live as many happy and healthy years as I can.

10

I was diagnosed as a ten year old with sensorineural high frequency hearing loss and was told to avoid concerts, shooting guns, and if I were using power tools to always use ear protection. By following these directions I was able to put off getting HA’s for 40 years, although if you asked my wife she would say I waited 10 years to long! Enjoy your life but take the necessary precautions to protect the hearing you have left.

11

Yeah man, I’m not really enjoying my life, all I do is taking necessary precautions! :S