Not even a year and dropped 5-10 decibels across the board!

Hearing Loss
#1

Had an issue with my hearing aids. While the technician was checking them she wanted to do a quick hearing test to see where we were(even though only 6-7 months since my annual. To my dismay; she informed my it had dropped again. I’ve gone from average of 30d loss to now 70-75 d loss. That’s almost 10 decibels a year for four/ five years consistently. Back two years ago the audiologist told me it should plateau soon. Told me my loss for early 40’s was not ordinary but wasn’t too worried we couldn’t stay on top and help me hearing well.

I haven’t even noticed the drop this time. However at this rate I’m feel I might end up profound in another few years. After the adjustment I found things loud for first few weeks (more then other adjustments) but now seems ok just a little loud but clear.

Anyone else suffer similar to this?

Anything I can/ should be doing ?

What else should I expect with this “rapid”deterioration?

Thanks.

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#2

Yes I at the moment am also dropping between 5 and 10 decibels every 6 months. It’s never enough for the audiologist to be worried in the short term but when you add it up over a long period of time it’s a lot of loss!

I’m 18 with a long family history of progressive hearing loss till full deafness. So I’ve excepted the inevitable that I will most likely be profound at some point in my 20s and get on with life. There’s nothing you can do apart from protect the hearing you’ve got !!

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#3

Hearing loss is going to run it’s own course. I panicked when my hearing in my left ear dropped to profound suddenly for no particular reason. I didn’t wear HAs til mid forties, but it was already moderate loss. Then one ear tanked. I shifted to learning about cochlear implants to be prepared and learned that earlier is better while we still have some residual left. I had 40% understanding in my left ear when I got implanted. Lost most of what was left, but the CI is better for use and I can function well. I wear a HA in my other ear. I hope it helps to know there might be options to continue communicating with hearing, even if it is via a CI. Many Audiologists are not well versed in current CI practices and qualification requirements and the field is changing rapidly. So keep that in mind if an AuD discourages the thought down the line. Mine did. So I went to an AuD who was trained in CI evaluations and learned so much. Good luck and don’t despair.

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#4

You both have my extreme empathy @Johnmurphy & @Phoebe, perhaps it is much worse to live with a progressive loss, learning to adapt every year or so can take its toll, especially the mental aspect on you both… Personally, I was flung in at the deep end, with severe bilateral SSNHL, in my 30’s… Things went rapidly downhill a short few years later, with other hearing complications, severe bilateral Tinnitus, Recruitment, and Meniers Disease, Balance problems, closely followed by Depression, and latterly Anxiety… The latter was for me, the most significant, I had no control over Anxiety, and after 6 years on the “Beta Blockers”, I stopped them last week after consulting with my doctor, it was a tough shout, but hopefully I will progress? Meniers was destroying my vestibular, and gradually with every vertigo attack, destroying what little residual hearing I had left! As soon as I was diagnosed with Meniers (1994, I believe, and there is no cure) I then came to the self realization, I was going to have to live with a profound hearing loss, and knowing this, I decided to be more proactive, and take up BSL (British Sign Language) in conjunction with learning to Lipread, both of which, where most enjoyable to learn, with the added bonus, they where a massive confidence booster :smile: I was offered to go for Cochlear Implant Assessment last year @joanhawsey, I declined that offer, for many reasons, I have a heart condition, I was about to retire, the rehab prospect didn’t fill me with deep joy, and ultimately there was a slim chance it might fail, and they would want to do my good ear, for the prospect of a more positive outcome! I have a few Roger Devices, which are excellent, and if I need to hear, I will use my Roger On, at say a doctor’s appointment, then I don’t miss anything vital… Hopefully both of you guys hearing loss, will start to slow down, but learning BSL, or indeed ASL, might be food for thought? Good Luck… Cheers Kev :wink:

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#5

I’m only at a moderate loss at the moment so its really not that bad, I’ve got plenty more scope left for more salvageable hearing loss. I imagine its must worse when your severe to profound and know your really running out of hearing! I’ve tried to learn BSL but I live in a rural area with no deaf clubs or anything to meet others.

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#6

There are I believe BSL classes online @Phoebe? Although there is no substitute for actual night school classes in person… I too live out in the sticks, in a tiny highland village, but fortunately, a highland town called Dingwall is approximately 10 miles away from where I live, it has a fairly large BSL community, so sign language is part of the school curriculum, and why there is a larger than normal profoundly Deaf community in a population of around 10k, is a bit of a conundrum, it could possibly be that Dingwall Academy, at one time took live-in students from all over the highlands, perhaps these Deaf students decided to move to Dingwall after their schooling days, to be closer to like minded souls, big D are rather gregarious, they obviously like to be amongst their own culture… When, I lived in Shetland there was a tiny village there, called Aith, most or a very high percentage of the villagers, I was reliably informed where Big D… I would say looking at your audiogram, you are mostly moderately severe… It gets tougher as you move up through the thresholds, especially when you hit severe/profound, with reasonable, well fitted aids, one to one is fine in a good acoustic environment, but, in noise you will struggle without an ALD, but you have time on your side at 18, who knows what medical/hearing aid advances, that will happen in the next 40 or 50 years, tis probably unimaginable… Take care, cheers Kev :wink:

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#7

The reason I opted for an early Cochlear Implant is because it doesn’t do much good for me to learn sign if those around me don’t know it. It would be extremely limiting.

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#8

Hi Joan, I was most fortunate my wife signs, she is a former Social Worker for the Deaf, and a Level 3 signer, so I have plenty motive, and opportunity to sign… There are many days, I don’t put my aids in at all, and just sign all day… But TBH, I also had an ulterior motive, apart from signing to my wife, I was acutely aware (20 odd years ago) my confidence had reached rock bottom, depression had set in, I had become reclusive, and perhaps detached from people, I needed to go to sign language, and hopefully regain my self respect, and by mixing with lots of HOH at class, it gradually dawns on you, you are not alone, the world is full of HOH, and over several years of learning sign language, my inner confidence returned, it took a long time, for me to except my hearing loss, and this is the key to the recovery, and you come out the other end, a much stronger, and hopefully a more confident, perhaps a more rounded individual… Sign language played a major part in my recovery, and excepting the new me… Cheers Kev :wink:

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#9

What a wonderful story of finding the “new me”. Love that!

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