I'm really hoping somebody has a good answer for me on this question. Even my doctor has not been able to answer it adequately in my opinion.
On December 28th 2016 I experienced sudden sensinureal hearing loss (SSHL) in my right ear. Luckily I was able to get to the ENT within 2 days and started on both the steroid injections as well as oral steroids, but when they tested my hearing at that first visit I was hearing nothing. I was completely deaf in my right ear.
Two weeks after the treatments another hearing test was done I was able to hear sounds but in the severe hearing loss range, and only sounds over 80 Db.
Since that time my hearing has continued to get somewhat better and now rests at the very bottom of moderate hearing loss, around 60Db. I still can't understand anything that I hear from my right ear and I only hear very loud sounds and cannot always make them out but I am getting some of my hearing back.
My question is this. Does the hearing after SSH L return slowly? Almost everything I've read and from at least the anecdotal stories I've heard, most people say it returns spontaneously and instantly.
In addition to the hearing someone getting better I also have severe tinnitus and the big problem is I have to keep the ear plugged during loud parts of my day otherwise the pain is just too severe. Because of that I'm worried I'm doing myself a disservice by not letting my ear hear those sounds but it's just too painful to do it all the time.
If anybody has experienced this and had their hearing return in small steps like this I would love to know because I'm hopeful that I'm on the right path. I know I'm lucky to get any hearing back considering I was completely deaf and I am grateful for that but I'm looking to see if it's potentially possible that I might get more than what I've got back so far if it does come back slowly for some other people like this.
Thanks so much in advance!