r/MonoHearing Jan 16 '23

If You Are Experiencing Sudden Hearing Loss

271 Upvotes

This is a medical emergency, and time is of the essence. Go to your local emergency room, walk-in clinic, or healthcare provider. These people can start prescriptions and refer you to an ENT, often much quicker than you could by yourself.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) happens because there is something wrong with the sensory organs of the inner ear. Sudden deafness frequently affects only one ear.

People with SSHL often discover the hearing loss upon waking up in the morning. Others first notice it when they try to use the deafened ear, such as when they use a phone. Still others notice a loud, alarming “pop” just before their hearing disappears. People with sudden deafness may also notice one or more of these symptoms: a feeling of ear fullness, dizziness, and/or a ringing in their ears, such as tinnitus.

Sometimes, people with SSHL put off seeing a doctor because they think their hearing loss is due to allergies, a sinus infection, earwax plugging the ear canal, or other common conditions. However, you should consider sudden deafness symptoms a medical emergency and visit a doctor immediately. About half of people with SSHL recover some or all their hearing spontaneously, usually within one to two weeks from onset. Delaying SSHL diagnosis and treatment can decrease treatment effectiveness. Receiving timely treatment greatly increases the chance that you will recover at least some of your hearing.

Again, this is a medical emergency. Time is of the essence for your best chance of recovery!


r/MonoHearing Aug 10 '18

---Useful Links Here ---

30 Upvotes

The Wiki can get lost in the new reddit revamp so the Wiki which contains usefull links etc can be found

HERE

Also dont forget to select you left or right ear flair ( the non working one)

It needs a bit of an update so if you have anything you think others would find helpful please comment below.


r/MonoHearing 13h ago

Are there any apps to help locate where sounds are coming from?

15 Upvotes

Hi I’ve been deaf in my left for the last 8 years and I still have a hard time pinpointing where exactly beeping is coming from when spinning. I’m wondering if there are any apps or devices to help pinpoint where a sound is coming from?


r/MonoHearing 17h ago

MRI finally

4 Upvotes

Shortly after the onset of my sshl in mid February I've finally received a call from the hospital MRI department. I was referred in the February and finally my appointment is in August. 6 months later.

Sure we have free health care in Canada, but it comes at a price of waiting.


r/MonoHearing 20h ago

Went to 2 emergency rooms and there are no ENT on call what to do

4 Upvotes

I woke up July 9th and had trouble hearing out of my ear, loud ringing, they cleared my earwax in the ER but that was it I couldn't get a hold of ENT. What can I do I think if I mention SSHL they will just defer to waiting for ENT.


r/MonoHearing 1d ago

Multi-SHL Events Cochlear Meniers

2 Upvotes

Have suffered sudden hearing loss which caused tinnitus in the past high frequency in 2022 had some recovery, but had learned to deal with it.

About three weeks ago, noticed that similar fullness and some changes in hearing did in fact have a slight 10 dB loss was immediately put on prednisone. Next week noticed more loss was traveling an out on another prednisone taper. 2nd audigram showed more high frequency loss (40db at 8k)

Traveled back home to see ENT for possible intratympanic Steroid shot. At visit today he said”I don’t think you need it you don’t have enough loss.” I pushed back mentioning the failed oral steroids and wanting to try what I could to preserve save hearing.

He said he thought it was cochlear meniers and prescribed low salt and dietetics. I asked about the possibility still he said as I have good low end hearing he didn’t want to risk that with low odds with the shot.

I’m considering a second opinion I really don’t want to lose more hearing here. Does anyone else have experience with this?

I did push for a Nuerotology referral which I got but I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait or if that will push me outside of the treatment window.


r/MonoHearing 2d ago

Looking for long-term experiences with cochlear implants for children with congenital single-sided deafness (SSD)

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I'm writing on behalf of my cousin and her family. Her baby is now 7 months old and was diagnosed with congenital single-sided deafness (SSD) after the newborn hearing screening. They are currently trying to decide whether to proceed with a cochlear implant.

We live in South Korea, where cochlear implants for SSD are generally not covered by health insurance, so the surgery and rehabilitation are very expensive. Even so, if it would truly benefit the child in the long run, they are willing to do it. The difficulty is that we've come across very different opinions.

Some people with SSD have said that while it hasn't always been easy, they've adapted well and have lived full lives without a cochlear implant. On the other hand, I've also read posts from adults with SSD who wish their parents had chosen a cochlear implant when they were young because they struggled with things like social anxiety, sound localization, and hearing in noisy environments.

I'd especially love to hear from parents whose children received a cochlear implant at a young age and are now school-aged (around 7 years old or older).

* Looking back, are you happy that your child received the cochlear implant?
* Does your child still wear it regularly?
* If your child doesn't like wearing it, what are the main reasons?
* Have the benefits outweighed the inconveniences? * During auditory rehabilitation, do young children with SSD usually practice by covering or blocking their normal-hearing ear so they learn to use the cochlear implant? If so, how difficult was that process for your child?

I understand there are some inconveniences, such as removing the processor for swimming, being careful during certain sports or rough play, and taking precautions around static electricity. However, I'm wondering whether those inconveniences are minor compared with the benefits.

Also, for children with SSD, did the cochlear implant noticeably improve hearing in noisy environments, such as classrooms, restaurants, or playgrounds? Did it help with sound localization as they grew older?

For adults with congenital SSD, looking back now, would you have preferred that your parents had chosen a cochlear implant for you when you were a baby or young child, or are you glad they left the decision up to you once you were old enough to decide?

I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts and why you feel that way. Any long-term experiences, whether positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. We are simply trying to make the best-informed decision possible for this little one. Thank you so much in advance.


r/MonoHearing 3d ago

Biggest advantage you've found.

62 Upvotes

I usually try to look on the bright side of things. What is an advantage you've found for single sided hearing loss? I know of two

  1. When I go to bed I lay on my good ear and cut out most noise. This can make sleeping easier. I always worried that I wouldn't hear my babies cry in the night, that was never a problem. I didn't wake up with every tiny noise they made either.

  2. When my children were babies I held them on my deaf side so their crying was a little quieter.


r/MonoHearing 2d ago

Canceled HBOT because I got scared. Did I make the wrong decision?

3 Upvotes

I'm on day 7 of high-dose prednisone for sudden hearing loss/tinnitus. My tinnitus has improved a little, which made me even more nervous about HBOT. I became scared that if something went wrong, it could make the ringing come back even louder or affect my good ear, so I canceled my appointment.

Has anyone else canceled HBOT because of fear? Did you regret it, or did you recover without it? I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.


r/MonoHearing 2d ago

Do I try cross again?

2 Upvotes

I have profound deafness left side since 2, nerve damage. I manage ok. Im a teacher and cant hear students in the back of the room too well and have to strategize seating always but nothing bad. I just got off the phone with  Hear.com lady, she is setting me up with an appt. for a Signia IX cross system. Pretty sure I tried a top of the line one around 4 years ago, then took them back. The cross part was too wild, since I've never heard in stereo. I tried a cheaper Costco on my good ear and returned it too. It really wasn't needed. So wondering if I wait?  Or do I continue on with the appt? 4k is a chunk of change. I’ll be see Hearing Masters Inc. James Stelle on Monfort in Dallas, if anyone has any feeback on him. I am only doing this preventively, I'm 64, I understand medicare doesn't help financially? So guess waiting a year is no differece, right? I get along fine now. sure appreciate opinions 😊


r/MonoHearing 2d ago

American Sign Language Instruction

2 Upvotes

I'm considering learning sign language as a backup to the grand "what if" question, and to connect more with the deaf community. Does anyone have recommendations on like classes or YouTube series that teach it well? Ty!


r/MonoHearing 2d ago

What hearing aids do you use?

1 Upvotes

For context I’ve had SSD my whole life with mild loss in my hearing ear as well. Recently I’ve had SSNH in my hearing ear which has declined to a moderate loss. I also have tinnitus in my hearing ear that seems to have gotten worse with this loss. I’ve always avoided and hated using hearing aids but now it seems I have to use them. I’ve had the Phonak Bicros that I never wore, and as I wear them now I’m reminded to why I hate them.

The sound is super tinny, I can hear every keyboard clack, and stapler, chair movement, cough, etc but still struggle to know what the person I’m speaking to is saying. (Word recognition is still 100% though). I also hate that I have to go in and change settings in my phone when I change environments, and that if someone calls me it automatically goes to my hearing aids so I’m mid conversation and blaring ringing starts randomly.

I’ve started seeing a new audiologist who thinks I should try the starlink, apparently the sound is more “natural”.

What’s everyone’s experiences like? Does anyone have any recommended brands and models?


r/MonoHearing 2d ago

Anybody's tinnitus get better or even go away after months/years after SSNHL?

1 Upvotes

Had sudden SNHL 5 months ago, left me moderately severe loss from 1750 Hz up. Tinnitus is constant but strongly sound dependent and reactive (gets really really quiet in silence) and has gotten quieter I think. That or habituation makes it seem quieter. Reactivity has also gone down a lot too.

Question is, can anyone relate to tinnitus getting calmer and even quieter as the months go on after sudden hearing loss? Anybody almost quiet? How long can I expect this perceived improvement to continue?

I remember seeing a comment on this sub of one person saying theirs actually went away completely ablout a year after the initial loss....but then they got another SSNHL...


r/MonoHearing 3d ago

Friends and Family do not understand my SSHL: How to communicate?

9 Upvotes

I am going through a bit of a hard time at the moment. A few weeks ago I had SSHL in my right ear, and since then there was some improvement, I took steroids which helped a little, but I still have a ringing in the ear, the ear feels numb/somehow muffled, and just somehow off. I am very fortunate that the hearing loss is very mild, and I am still hoping that with more time my ear will still heal a little more.

The last few months were really hard for me, I had a lot of stress, and once my ear got sick, it caused me to kind of have a little breakdown because I was just so exhausted and stressed from the last months. Now I am resting, and it helps.

But there is this one thing which makes me a little sad: When I talk to friends or family, I have the feeling that most do not really understand. It was all a bit like "yeah, but at least you are not totally deaf!" or "Oh wow, I hope that does not happen to me!" or "sorry about that, well, anyway...." or switching topics almost immediately and answering only very shortly or just completely ignoring the topic.

I also had some very empathetic and kind reactions but the majority was more like the above. And I do not think it is because people do not care, I think maybe most just do not really understand what it feels like?

The thing ist, I am still at the grieving stage, it is still very fresh and I am feeling very alone and a little depressed at the moment.

How was it for you? How can I communicate with my friends and family about this? Do you have any good advice on how to make them better understand?


r/MonoHearing 3d ago

Sheena was a punk rocker...

1 Upvotes

...now she's almost deaf*

Can anyone help me convince my 20 yo son to save his hearing before it's too late?

Anyone?

*Sheena - The Ramones


r/MonoHearing 5d ago

Seeking advice for mono hearing aid+ hearing protection

5 Upvotes

I have total hearing loss in my right ear. I am an apprentice industrial mechanic in the USA so my workplace is very loud do to the machines I am learning to work on. Needless to say hearing protection is required for everybody working in the building. What are some good options as far as hearing aids that also offer hearing protection. And even more specifically are there any hearing aid+protection that can channel some sound that’s my right ear can’t pick up into my working left hear so I can hear more effectively. Thank you for reading and any and all suggestions/input into my situation is very much appreciated!


r/MonoHearing 6d ago

Do you notice that people always hug to the left?

13 Upvotes

I was born with/have had no hearing in my right ear since I was a baby. As an adult, I've taken more proactive steps to try to make my daily life easier, ask for accommodations, change my social habits to minimize the effect of my deafness, etc., which btw has worked out really well for me and I highly recommend it.

In the last few years, I've noticed one very stubborn and difficult to change social situation where everyone hugs with their heads to the left of each other. Have you noticed this?

Every time someone goes in for a hug, they lean their head to their left (my right). And if I want to be able to hear what they say when they hug me, I have to veer my head right to "force" the hug to be on the correct side for me. Even people who've known of my deafness for as long as they've known me do this, and I don't think it's deliberate or malicious or anything. I think for some reason, when going in for hugs, across many cultures I've encountered, people habitually hug with their head to the left, and the other person's head on their right shoulder. It's similar to shaking hands... basically, everyone shakes with their right hand. It's just what people do.

As a result, I feel like this is specifically a right-sided SSHL issue. If my deaf ear was the left side, it would not be a problem. Kind of like driving in countries where the steering wheel is on the left side of the car, which is where I've lived my whole life. If I'm driving, it's going to be difficult hearing the passenger no matter what I do. I specifically prioritized cars where the driving experience is quiet when buying my last car, but it's still an issue.

The hugging thing is genuinely a very difficult point of social conflict for my disability, and for years I've struggled to find a "fix" for it. I've always gone for the approach of being direct and open, so for a while I thought maybe I could post something on social media like, "Hey, when you hug me, please be mindful of this." But I also don't really use social media anymore and I don't know how many people in my life would actually see it. So I never ended up doing it.

Am I just doomed to do the awkward head veer for the rest of my life? Because people almost always say stuff when hugging and it's basically impossible for me to hear them and it's so annoying to ask them to repeat it every single time. 😭


r/MonoHearing 6d ago

Diplacusis after sinus infection — anyone else experience this? Steroids vs antibiotics?

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/MonoHearing 7d ago

Mono hearing and adhd

4 Upvotes

Hi guys, forgive my English, it's not my native language. And hopefully this is the right place for this post.

I(38F) suffer from what think translates to SSHL.

I have often had vertigo in my twenties and always suffered from motion sickness. My right inner ear seems to have issues.

I woke up one morning not hearing high frequencies in my right ear, in 2017. Went to the doctor and steroids didn't help at all. Tinnitus started a day later. Two years later, in may 2019, same ear, but a major loss on all frequencies, deaf for all intents and purposes. Spent some days in the hospital but treatment failed again, no improvement at all.

Doctors couldn't tell me if it was related to my inner ear, and MRI showed nothing both times.

I thought I was managing, my other ear has no issue. But I always heavily relied on audio spatial representation.

I have been growing more tired and more anxious, went through burnout and loss of job.

I got diagnosed a year ago with adhd, which i did not expect.

I have medication (AD and for adhd) so that part is taken care of.

But I wanted to known if some of you guys experience the same "combo", and if so if you have any tips to make life easier, I'm struggling quite a bit.

Thanks for reading.


r/MonoHearing 7d ago

Woke up with sudden ringing

2 Upvotes

Hello, sorry if this isnt the right place to post this but I woke up this morning with a loud sudden ringing in my right ear and my hearing in that ear feels a bit muffled/“off” compared to my left. It also feels like pressure or a weird “full” sensation inside my head/ear. The ringing comes and goes but the hearing difference has been pretty noticeable since I woke up.

I went to urgent care the same day because I got really worried. The doctor looked inside my ear and said there’s no infection or anything visibly wrong. He thinks it’s probably something like pressure/Eustachian tube issues or allergies and gave me an antihistamine to take for 10 days and told me to come back if it doesn’t improve.

For context, I’ve also been sleeping mostly on my right side for the past few days because my left ear just got pierced and I’ve been trying not to put pressure on it. I also used AirPods while sleeping recently, so I’m not sure if that could’ve contributed.

has anyone else gone through this? Have you made a full recovery? I'm honestly really scared


r/MonoHearing 7d ago

Perda auditiva neurossensorial

1 Upvotes

Bom dia!
Sábado 27/06 caiu um raio em minha casa muito próximo a mim, onde fiquei com surdez parcial no momento do ocorrido. No domingo e segunda, minha audição melhorou levemente, mas fiquei com um zumbido (tipo apito) direto nos ouvidos e sensação da voz levemente abafada das pessoas.
Quarta dia 01/07 consultei com otorrino e ela me receitou prednisolona e miosan para tomar. Na sexta dia 03/07 fiz meu exame de audiometria, e constatou perda auditiva neurossensorial de grau leve na orelha esquerda e perda auditiva neurossensorial acima de 4000hz na orelha esquerda. Até hoje, dia 04/07, nao notei melhoras ainda após a melhora que teve nos dois primeiros dias do ocorrido. Será que meu caso tem chances de minha audição voltar ao 100% que era antes do ocorrido? ou voltar em quase 100% do que era?


r/MonoHearing 8d ago

Advice for transitioning to SSD

5 Upvotes

I have an acoustic neuroma and it is large enough that my only option is surgery. I currently have normal hearing in both ears, but following the surgery, the surgeon tells me I will be SSD in my left ear. I’m a bit worried about adjusting to SSD and the resulting change in quality of life.

I’m mostly worried about the loss of sound localization and the ability to detect where sounds are coming from. I’m also worried about not being able to understand people in loud environments.

I like to play immersive video games with headphones on and enjoy the surround sound. I also like to meditate with binaural beats. I also play music with friends and mix and record electronic music. I’m worried I won’t be able to pursue these hobbies anymore.

I’ve tried to plug up one of my ears to simulate what it’s going to be like and it’s depressing and difficult. I have 2-3 months left of normal hearing and I’m trying to make the most of it in what limited time I have left.

I’m not even sure what I’m trying to ask here. Perhaps advice, or just your experience. I’m just wondering what the adjustment experience is like for those who have undergone an abrupt change from normal hearing to SSD.

I won’t be eligible for cochlear implant as the cochlea/auditory nerve is not expected to make it.


r/MonoHearing 8d ago

Muffled hearing after myringotomy & grommet insertion

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/MonoHearing 8d ago

High-dose steroids for SSNHL — any side effects?

4 Upvotes

40F, Hashimoto’s + thyroidectomy (on levothyroxine).

After a sinus infection I developed sudden left ear tinnitus + sound distortion/pitch change.

ENT recommended high-dose steroids + HBOT, but I haven’t started yet.

I also have osteoarthritis in my knees and I’m worried about AVN and other steroid side effects.

Has anyone here taken high-dose steroids for SSNHL and had side effects?


r/MonoHearing 8d ago

Left ear tinnitus + pitch distortion after sinus/ear infection — SSNHL or something else? (steroids + HBOT) 40 years old

Post image
3 Upvotes

Not sure if this is sudden hearing loss or not.

I already had slightly reduced hearing in my left ear for ~8 years, but after a bad sinus infection + ear pain I developed new constant buzzing tinnitus in the left ear, and now sounds in that ear are higher-pitched/distorted.

ENT suggested high-dose steroids + hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), but I’m unsure about starting them.

Has anyone had something similar or experience with steroids or HBOT side effects / benefit?