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So, the ringing is back. Not super bad, but it's back. Still having a hard time hearing. I went to the doctor and he put me on a diuretic. He thinks it's Meniere’s syndrome. He consulted over the phone with a specialist. I'm worried it's SSNHL, and I'm not getting the right treatment that needs to occur before 4 weeks of symptoms starting.
I left my laptop in my car when I was at the appointment. I'm going to try to email this to him tomorrow. If not, I'll fax it. He's very open minded and willing to look at information. It's just such a hassle since we're leaving for vacation soon, but he can call the steroid prescription to a pharmacy while we're away. Vacation is why I can't wait to see a specialist----the 4 weeks will be over before we're back home. The article says they treat to be on the side of caution before testing is completed.
Hopes, I don't remember if you mentioned it in your other thread or not - but are you on a low-sodium diet already? If you're not, you might want to ask your doctor if he recommends it either in conjunction with a diuretic, or instead of one, at least at first.
I don't know much about Meniere's disease - my mom thought she had it, but it turned out to be something else (I don't remember what was causing her vertigo - her tinnitus is likely the same nerve damage I was born with). Other than her explanations of what she was going through, and reading a wikipedia article, my understanding is almost zilch. But I do recall she was told to go low-sodium, to see if that would alleviate fluid retention in her ear.
Yes, he told me to go on a low sodium diet. They put me on a diuretic because I will be traveling in a few days. The airplanes and the mountains could rupture my eardrum, which could very remotely result in permanent damage. The goal is to relieve the pressure for the altitudes. I can't even begin to imagine a low sodium diet, but I will do my best.
I don't have vertigo. He's says that's a good thing. People with vertigo symptoms have greater hearing loss eventually. I didn't connect the dots until I was in the car, but my older sister developed vertigo within the past few years. She hasn't mentioned ringing or hearing loss though.
I know absolutely nothing about my grandmother's and my father's hearing loss. My grandmother died when I was 11, and my father was in denial. He insisted he could hear perfectly fine if we didn't mumble. Never mind that the TV was turned up FULL BLAST. Thank goodness I didn't live there when his hearing was at its worse. Just visiting was stressful with all that noise. I refuse to become THAT person. If my hearing goes, I'm going to accept it gracefully like my grandmother did.
Did you check out that link? I really want to ensure that everything is done to prevent hearing loss if it's SSNHL.
Yeah I read it - lots of info in that one page, sheesh. It sounds scary, but on the other hand, I was thinking "hey that symptom sounds like my problem" on every other paragraph. But I know I don't have it. It's just that each individual symptom is typical of a host of other hearing maladies. Word recognition is the worst for me; the tinnitus is more severe, but the word recognition problem is the most annoying. I'm pretty much used to the tinnitus. I don't have vertigo at all but I've acquired a really freaky fear of heights only in the last 15 years. I used to climb mountains and hike steep trails up cliff walls, and now I can barely climb a ladder without palpitations. The doctor says this -might- be related to the hearing loss, a sort of emotionally manifested vertigo rather than a true medical vertigo. Like, because my hearing is off, my balance is off, and my mind doesn't know how to deal with it so it gives me anxiety. Either that, or it's just a garden variety phobia that developed over time.
You don't have the vertigo, and that seems like a really good thing with regards to that sudden deafness. It looks - from that website's explanation, that vertigo is one of the "common" symptoms in one extreme, and in the moderate form of the illness. So that'd mean, if you did have it, you'd only have symptoms for the other extreme version of it. And that's pretty rare. If you do the numbers, you'll see that you _probably_ just have one of the kajillion forms of "not rare and freakishly scary" hearing loss, that a hearing aid will correct just fine and dandy.
I agree though that it's good to find out ASAP, either way. You should bring it up with your ENT guy and ask him if your audiogram showed any indication of it. Remember the paragraph in that link, that says a regular doctor is not qualified to diagnose SSNHL, that you need an audiologist or ent guy for that.
Good luck, and I'm wishing you just a normal ordinary "I'm getting old please pass me the hearing aid batteries and BTW where did I put my dentures, junior?" kind of loss!
My problem is that I am leaving town tomorrow for a vacation that's longer than 2 weeks. My 4 week window will be over before I return home. My internist's nurse called and gave me my doctor's email address this morning. He'll consult with the ENT like he did while I was at his office yesterday. I realize the audiogram needs to be done but it can't be done until I return from vacation. That article does say that they treat with the steroids before the testing is completed because time is of the essence in meeting this 4 week window.
Thanks for your well wishes. It gave me a good laugh!
Hey you know what Hopes? If that website link is to be believed, then you have already ruled out that SSNHL kind of disorder on your previous thread. You've had hearing difficulties for a long time, and the tinnitus has been on and off again for years and has been more constant and annoying since a few weeks before that first post, which was already 2 weeks ago (making it at -least- 6 weeks ago that you first noticed the more pervasive tinnitus). So you're *well* beyond that 4-week window and you're not deaf yet.
There's Hope for Hopes! Better go find them dentures, grandma!
Well Hopes, if you do have Menier's Disease your in good company as I was diagnosed with it in 2010.
I have cycles where the disease causes me to have to stay in bed due to uncontrollable vertigo and all the unpleasant side effects that occurs with that.
Sometimes I have to remain in bed for upwards of a week before the vertigo subsides.
Also when the disease is at it's worst it brings about a condition known as brain fog where concentration and memory are almost non existent.
I have also had balance issues from it even when the disease is not acting up.
Since July of 2010 when I was first diagnosed with Meniere's Disease my hearing in my right ear has been destroyed from it.
I went from normal hearing range to 96 percent deaf.
There are many times of remission to where I am perfectly normal and have absolutely no issues for months on end.
Meniere's Disease is horrible and many of us who do have it ultimately go on disability due to the severity of it.
It's not like I'm old or anything being 46 years of age.
Meniere's Disease usually strikes those between the ages of 35 and 60.
I truly hope you don't have it but if you do there are many of us who can help you by understanding what your going through.
She doesn't have vertigo. Since that is one of the primary characteristics of Meniere's disease, hopefully whatever she has, won't be as severe, and will be easily treatable or manageable with hearing aids and/or a supplement to address some kind of vitamin/mineral deficiency.
As for age - deafness can strike anyone, at any age, for any of many different possible reasons. And some of us are born with damage in our ears and, like in my case (which is not rare), it's progressive.
I'm hoping it's not a severe form. My doctor said I was lucky that I only had two of the three symptoms. He said the ones with vertigo have a more severe form. He also said that mine may stop. I'm hoping he is right. But I remembered after my appointment that my sister developed vertigo within recent years. I'm hoping I didn't simply go to the doctor sooner than others and that the worst is yet to come. We'll find out when I get back from vacation.
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