SSHL recovery timeframe

[brendajj9]

at what point does a person with diagnosed SSHL, who has already been treated with oral steroids and tympanic injections of steroids, give up hope of experiencing any further hearing improvement?

[Eks94]

I know this is an old thread but I came across it in a moment of panic. On Monday night, I was watching tv when I turned the volume up so high my boyfriend teased what am I going deaf? I then realized I was having trouble hearing in my right ear. I decided to sleep on it but no improvement in the morning. I went to my PCP who referred me to an ENT. I didn't have a very good experience, he was pretty abrupt and told me most people don't recover and I won't ever hear again from that ear and then walked me down the hall to an auditory test. Results showed that I had "mild" hearing loss ranging from 30-45 db in my right ear. He gave me about 1 minute to decide what to do and I opted for the intratempanic steroid injection. I'm having a really hard time dealing with this and feel quite debilitated. I am curious by when I should (if I do) experience any improvement in the hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear fullness? I should also mention I am only 22 so this is a rather embarrassing problem.

[rosemom03]

I hope by now you have begun to recover some hearing.  It's good that you went to your ENT so quickly.  The ringing noise you hear when your son cries may be the beginning of the return of your hearing.  I heard some very uncomfortable sounds in the beginning when my hearing started to come back.  Do not put cotton in your ear to try to block the noise---let your brain hear those sounds.  As your brain adjusts to the loss of hearing in that ear, you can sometimes hear odd noises.  You are hearing beeping noises---I heard our church choir and birds chirping a few days after I lost my hearing in one ear.  I also had severe tinnitus, hearing what sounded like bells clanging for months.  I received a total of 3 shots in my ears, plus took oral steroids.  I had a total loss of hearing in my right ear, but now have about 35% of my hearing back.  You may recover much more than that, so don't give up hope or get discouraged.  I didn't sleep on my ear for several months but I don't think it made any difference.  Just go about your normal activities.  I rested as much as I could.  I don't believe gravity plays any part in the shots.  Best wishes for complete return of your hearing.

[Les1982]

Hello, today is December 24.  On December 17 I suddenly lost a very good portion of the hearing in my left ear .  Like many, I thought that my ear just needed to pop. By the second day I thought maybe I had wax build up. Tried a little bit of peroxide on a Q-tip and swished around. No luck. I waited a couple more days but  my real wake up call was when I was sleeping with my good ear down on the pillow and my infant son,in the same room, was crying and I did not hear him. The Following morning I decided against contacting my PCP. It was a Friday before a holiday  weekend. I called and ENT office instead and explained to the girl in scheduling that I had an infant son and preferred to not go to my PCP only to be referred to ENT. I did not want to drag my newborn around in December weather. (This was probably my saving grace as I now understand how crucial timing is for treatment) She told me to come in within an hour.  My hearing test proved that I had extreme hearing loss. A steroid injection was done that day and I began oral prednisone- six pills a day for two weeks then taper one pill every two days.
Unfortunately, the doctor was very abrupt and was in and out of the room. A nurse practitioner came into the room after the injection to explain the steroid instructions. Now that I am home I have so many questions and preferred to not call the answering service over a holiday weekend.  I suppose  what I am experiencing is a slight ringing in the ear for a brief period of time. But I am also hearing a beep BEEP beep,  very similar to the beep that you hear during the hearing test. At times the beep is very faint at times somewhat too loud. Is it possible that this is a sign of the steroid working, perhaps healing things up inside the ear by the nerve.
Other questions that I have is related to kind of protecting the ear. When my son cries there is a ringing sound, almost painful. I suppose it would not hurt to put a little bit of cotton in that ear. My question is, is the ringing a way to try to protect or is the ringing a warning that more damage is being done?
How about when you sleep at night? Should I sleep with the affected ear facing up towards the ceiling? Does gravity play any part in the steroid injected?  Should I sit up during the day should I lay down for a good portion of the day should I hang my head off of the bed? Ha ha, at this point I am just desperate like many of us here.
I am scheduled for another injection on the 30th with of course a follow up hearing test.
Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated. Thank you

[scoopyou]

les1982:  Find out how many DB's of hearing you lost int he affected ear. This would be on a recent audiogram when compared to an older one. If the lose exceeds 30 DB's , the hearing will likely not return. I was told this buy my ENT after I also had SSHL. I lost 40+ Db's and my hearing has never returned after two full years. I had shots and prednisone the day it happened.  Good luck and everyone is different so don't give up hope.

[rosemom03]

I, too, lost all hearing in my right ear 1-1/2 years ago.  After oral steroids and 3 shots in my ear, three weeks later I regained about 35% of my hearing but it is extremely distorted.  Of that 35% that I can hear, only about 40% is distinguisable sound.  I also lost all my balance and had no feeling on the right side of my face.  I was overwhelmed by noise and didn't even want to leave the house after it happened.  Balance has returned with some physical therapy and the feeling has returned.  I have a hearing aid now even though I don't like the way my ear picks up sound due to the distortion but I try to embrace whatever I can hear in that ear.  I thought I'd never recover from this but you do---your body and brain adjust and now I hardly even notice that anything is different.  It took about a year to heal.  I was 59 years old at the time and very healthy.

[fldreds]

I posted on this forum about 6 years ago regarding SSHL. It occurred when I was 32. I was completely deaf in my left ear. A few people have contacted me asking for an update, so I thought I'd post again.

I was completely devastated when my hearing loss occurred and felt truly debilitated. I was overwhelmed by ambient noise everywhere I went and had difficulty with just about every interaction outside my house. I had a lot of trouble at work and worried about my career. I saw several ENT's and was told there was no hope of regaining any hearing.

I took prednisone for 5 weeks and got intratympanic injections. Within the first few months, I had regained 35% of my hearing. I haven't had a hearing test in years, but the important thing is that the hearing loss really does not affect me much now. Over time my body started to compensate and I don't notice it much unless I'm in a loud environment. Socially, it isn't really an issue except when someone tries to whisper in my left ear, or talking with a person on my left in a loud restaurant. I used a hearing aid for about a year, but eventually stopped because I found it uncomfortable.

Sudden hearing loss is initially devastating and debilitating and is a truly life changing event. But you *can* recover some hearing. And even if you don't, things will get better! :-)

[Mbirm]

Do you have tinnutus as well?

[rosemom03]

Yes, always.  It used to sound like clanging bells when I first lost my hearing but now is more like a constant buzzing noise.

[mtnbkr56]

Hi,
I was diagnosed with SSHL this past Tuesday.  I suddenly lost my hearing in my right ear on Saturday night.  I am a healthy 55 year old male, never had any hearing issues. In fact my hearing tests have always shown I have amazing hearing for someone my age, flat frequency response across the spectrum.

I was walking down the street with my wife when I heard a ringing in my right ear, I thought nothing of it, we all get that from time to time. But it did not go away and I soon noticed I was not hearing out of that ear, and the skin around my ear felt numb.

I thought maybe I had a bad case of wax buildup so when I got home I used the drops and flushed.  No change. Next day I went to Urgent Care and the doctor there said I needed to go see an ENT ASAP.  Being a holiday weekend I had to wait until Tuesday.

I saw the ENT and they tested me and my hearing is down by 30db in my right ear. My left ear tested like I was 25 years old.
So they have started me on Prednisone and Valtrex, but so far other than a change in the frequency of the ringing in my ear to a steady tone instead of warbling I have not noticed any improvement in my hearing.

It is very upsetting.  I can't listen to music as it all turns to distortion, and music is a huge part of my life. I also am a mountain biker, but my balance seems off so I am not sure If I can ride anymore.  This has changed everything for me and I am trying to deal with it.  People at work think they are helping if they whisper like they might hurt my ear if they talk loud, but it only makes it harder for me.

The thought of living my life this way is very scary to me, and not being able to enjoy music again just devastating.

I am praying the meds will kick in and my hearing returns, but even then I know I will live in fear it could happen again.

[onlyinmyright]

i just got diagnosed this week.  Monday.  how are you doing?  I'm 38 and have severe loss in my left.  just started steroids.  because my loss is severe doctors aren't optimistic.  I am coming to terms with my hearing loss, but am now more focused on the tinnitus.  From what I've read, it seems to faded for most, but never goes away.  Anyway, after reading your post I figured I would write back as we are in the same boat... seemingly.  Hope you are doing well.  how are you doing?