Cheapest way for accurate audiograms at home?

@Bimodal_user They don’t drain the liquid behind the eardrum just like that. First, I’m not sure is puss, I know is liquid. I noticed having sharp stabbing pains for over a month. I thought it may be due to my hearing loss. From all my visits to ENT’s doctors and to the audiologists this is the first time when someone they say I have something extra in there.
I have some Amoxicillin at home so I will start to take it. I guess that’s why I started to lose my hearing further also in my hight spectrum. Initially I had only bass loss. On the other hand, I’m scared. I never had ear infections and now, 6 months in with SSHL and I also have otitis media? Hope is not a growth in there like a tumour. Usually is formed by the eustachian tube closing and not allowing the middle ear to drain in the mouth. I have an appointment at the ENT on 1 September; I can’t wait till then. My ear is hurting already. I guess is a form of infection or puss. Man is never ending you know. Now I wonder if it was a virus/bacterium in the first place that obliterated my hearing, and I never got the right treatment because the ENTs I visited were incapable. Is possible! Everything is possible.

@samyaza said:

Hope is not a growth in there like a tumour.

It’s very, very rare condition. I know that it’s scaring and making feeling o being threatened all day. Nevertheless, the most often is the most obvious like fluid or pus. Do you have the opportunity to speed up your visit, e.g. by referral from a family doctor

no, I can’t speed it up. I already have the referral from the family doctor.

Even if it is not pus, it could be an effusion from otitis media. All that needs to happen to give you an infection is to be stuffy from an allergy, have an irritated area in your sinuses/nose/throat, and some opportunistic bacteria multiply there. Everything surrounding the middle ear and Eustachian tube gets inflamed and more congested and it’s all just culture media, growing bacteria. Make sure to arrange a full course of antibiotics, so you don’t create resistant bacteria, and use some decongestant so you can relieve the pressure. Anything that congests the ears can mute the hearing - I went completely deaf twice as a kid during 2 of many ear infections, and my hearing came back to its pre-existing (damaged) levels. It was no worse than it had already been. Try to get proper diagnosis and treatment, and maybe you won’t end up having to pay for CT and MRI after all.

When you hear hoofbeats in the hallway, it’s more likely to be a horse than a unicorn. Let’s hope for the horse!

User @samyaza is in Romania, I don’t know that Sam’s Club and Costco are options for him.

As AttilaDaPun said, we don’t have Costco. That’s an USA thing. You know the world is bigger than USA and in some places very different. I heard about the hearing aids from Costco. They are made by Philips which is weird, since in USA, Philips name Norelco. I don’t know if at that price range (not very cheap) are better than some other reputable brands/models. And really… Costco audiologist?

@Nevile… Don’t worry my friend. I know the protocol. I take Amoksiklav. Is a mix of Amoxicilin with Clavulanic acid is an inhibitor of beta-lactamase enzymes . Clavulanic acid contains a beta-lactam ring that binds to the beta-lactamase active site and inactivates the enzyme, thereby enhancing the antibacterial effect of beta-lactam antibiotics, such as amoxicillin… Works best in bot bacterian. In fact I’m at my 4th dose and the pain just gone from the 3th. We are not all idiots you know? Some we read a lot. In fact I was a medicine student at one point but I couldn’t finish because the costs. The doctors scare you guys a lot, so you visit them and give them money. "Develop anitibiotic resistant… blah blah :))) " This refers to population and generations not to individuals buddy. What bacteria can you name that was sensitive to Amoxicilin let’s say and now it isn’t and became a superbug? With the exception of Staphylococcus aureus! But this was always troublesome! However we developed Methicilin for that. And so on. Don’t believe whatever they feed you. Is not that simple. We would have been all dead by now if so. Proof I’m way better. Man… wtihout that pain in the ear is soooo much better and also the tinnitus went away most of the part.
Sure, I’m still deaf, but not the deafness was so upseting but the pain, the sensation of ear full of puss, the headache.

@AttilaDaPun Thank you my friend… you are always know all about me and tell the others. you are so connected Man I’m so happy that pain in my ear went away because the antibiotic! Few more days to go and I’m good as new! I wonder if all this time wasn’t a wrong diagnosis you know? Or maybe it wasn’t but the medicine can do so much. I suspect a viral infection that nocked out my cochlea (since the hearing loss and the diplacusis) that turned into bacterian infection do to inflamation of the eustachian tube an retaining the liquid that usually drain in tha chanal (mouth in this case). In that ooze bacteria developed and it transformed in (maybe green) puss. It would be cool to regain back some of my hearing too isn’t? However I dream too much.
Earlier I had a short… like a zap … i thought tinnius like sign in the right ear, but in fact I was just hearing well around me with that ear again. Is s strange. Is like you have worn for 6 months some ear buds for sound protection at after that you pulled them out of your ear and the sound invades. Maybe I/m going lucky, Lucky Strike! If I regain my hearing I buy all the nice people I talked to in here a Pepsi designed by AI (You know that limited edition? Well that one!) or it was coca cola? Well doesn’t matter.
Wish me luck.

I was watching your audiogram. I bet that drop from 20dB at 1Khz to 60dB at 3Khz sound preety Bad! I noticed those huge drops are the ones that is making your life miserable. the huge differncess.

Yeah, and that was in the soundproof booth, with headphones!

@samyaza said:

@Nevile… Don’t worry my friend. I know the protocol. I take Amoksiklav. Is a mix of Amoxicilin with Clavulanic acid is an inhibitor of beta-lactamase enzymes . Clavulanic acid contains a beta-lactam ring that binds to the beta-lactamase active site and inactivates the enzyme, thereby enhancing the antibacterial effect of beta-lactam antibiotics, such as amoxicillin… Works best in bot bacterian.

I think it isn’t necessary to respond in that disrespectful way. Just because clavulanic acid is added doesn’t mean that antibiotic resistance will not be induced. Antibiotic resistance is no joke. If you were really afraid of your condition, there is second visit in GP to reassess your contition (that was my case long time ago) or even emergency department if the pain was serious.

Your description suggested that your condition is more chronic not acute and you had not fever which implies that it’s more exudative aseptic otitis than bacterial. This is the job of GP to assess acuteness and whether you have fever, discharge or so.

If you are afraid of recurrent bacterial otitis you can talk with your doctor about considering an antipneumococcal vaccine. The best could be Apexxnar (another name: Prevenar 20).

@samyaza said:

In fact I’m at my 4th dose and the pain just gone from the 3th. We are not all idiots you know? Some we read a lot. In fact I was a medicine student at one point but I couldn’t finish because the costs. The doctors scare you guys a lot, so you visit them and give them money. "Develop anitibiotic resistant… blah blah :))) " This refers to population and generations not to individuals buddy.

Even assuming if you were right, I still think that you behaved very inappropriately and disrespectfully, especially towards a person who, in his free and unpaid time, participates in the forum as an Audi specialist and helped many people here.

I think there’s better way for you to show disagreement.

@samyaza said:

"Develop anitibiotic resistant… blah blah :))) " This refers to population and generations not to individuals buddy.

This is simply not true. Antibiotic resistance can occur even in the same patient during the same hospital staying, especially in ICU.

@samyaza said:

What bacteria can you name that was sensitive to Amoxicilin let’s say and now it isn’t and became a superbug? With the exception of Staphylococcus aureus! But this was always troublesome! However we developed Methicilin for that. And so on.

Even pneumococcus could get resistance. Methicillin isn’t an answer, because used inappropriately, there’s even MRSA (Methicillin-resistant). Then we use vancomicin (only in hospital), but there’s also VRSA. Conclusions? The physician reassessment is needed to prescribe antibiotics.

Great to see if antibiotic helped, but that still isn’t contrary to what I described. After signs of exudative otitis and examination there is watchful observation and if the signs get worse - reassesment, otoscopy for changes and only then antibiotics.

@AttilaDaPun said:

guessing you’ve been fortunate enough never to be treated by the guy who graduated by the skin of his teeth and was last in his class!

Fair. That’s probably true. I’ve also never had to pay to see a doctor.

@samyaza said:

As AttilaDaPun said, we don’t have Costco. That’s an USA thing.

Not just a USA thing. Ubiquitous in Canada. Present in UK, Spain, France, Sweden and Iceland. Plus Australia and New Zealand and no doubt many others. You might check with Costco to see if they have plans for your country any time soon.

Edit: list from Wiki

North America:

United States
Canada
Mexico

Rest of world:

Australia
China
France
Iceland
Japan
New Zealand
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Taiwan
United Kingdom

I’m from Romania. So we don’t have Costco. Also the price of those toys are pretty much equal to others like ReSound or Phonak etc… I want to go the DIY way and I don’t have the Philips software, nor I trust them very much since the Chinese bought them. Philips is not from Holland anymore, they have been bough by some Chinese people. From leader in tech, now they make LEDs for home very expensive, some TVs, few things for home and now hearing aids. I want something with more tradition. Even I woul have Costco in my country, I’m not so happy about the Philips hearing aid… I heard good reviews about them but I’m not conviced. Also they don’t have very advanced features. Is funny how you put it: Costco is not a USA thing: then give me a list with a few countries were they have Costco… man… That was priceless. Thanks anyway. Right now I’m targeting either Phonak or ReSound. I’m a little upset on Phonak because the new line are rechargeble only so I need to buy some older devices. And you may think: if they are older they are cheaper right? Well nope. Only the tech is older not the price. I want the Phonak Audéo Lumity L-90 312 or the ReSound Savi. They cost pretty much the same, so after I will sell a kidney and a nostril I will get the Phonak and a nice Noahlink II and call it a day. Cheers!

Slight point: Philips Hearing Tech is brand name owned by DeMant who make Oticon and Bernafon hearing aids.

I also have a fluctuating hearing loss and wanted an objective way to measure my hearing at home. I’ve had a pair of Audeara Headphones for several years. You can find them on e-bay for a reasonable price, I just looked and saw a pair for around $100.00 The headphones have an audiogram built into their ap that I have found the most easy to use to get an audiogram that looks like what you would get from a professional. The head phones also will do their best to adjust their sound to your hearing loss (within their capabilities) so I find them useful to use at night when watching TV if I don’t want to fall asleep with my aids in.