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Sudden hearing loss and Eustachian tube dysfunction

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This past weekend I woke up and everything seemed dull and heavy (sound wise!) figured it was just my ears hadn’t popped as I had take a flight the day before. Things hadn’t changed the next few days and was at a point where I could not make out clarity from speech with even the slightest background noise, and I found the tv too much trouble to even want to bother.

Yesterday I went to hearing dr and to my shock my hearing had fallen off in all the high frequencies.

R 4K 10dec increase in loss - now 65d
6k. 20dec increase in loss - now 75d
8k. 20dec increase in loss - now 65d
L 4K 10 increase in loss - now 60d
6k. 15 increase in loss - now 65d
8k. 15 increase in loss - now 66d

She informed me it was “unusual” to have both ears to have sudden high frequency loss at the same time and sent me directly to . There they said I had Eustachian Tube Dysfunction with they prescribed meds.

They informed me that they had gotten the same hearing results as my audiologist that morning and agreed the same that it was very unusual to happen in both ears ?

There they told me I had a Mild to moderately severe sloping mixed hearing loss (always had a pretty flat loss across the board) They have scheduled me for an next week……

I asked the ENT and his audi to be blunt and tell me what they thought was going on….because now I actually feel part deaf without the aids (very worrying!) They told me they did not think the loss was from the Eustachian blockage as that should “effect the low frequency” and seems only the high have fallen off. They said they need to figure out why I now have had a sudden loss and why my conductive scores have shown a now “mixed loss”!!! I asked to they think this could be permanent and they said hopefully the meds will help but they can’t be sure it will as they think two separate things going on.

I am really a taken back by all this. I always had issues hearing background noise etc but never did I feel I was on the “deafer” side of hearing!!!

Has anyone had anything similar……heard of this etc. I’m really worried that this can progress further and what will my options be.

I went back to my audiologist today and she changed my aids to fit the new loss - thanks fully I can hear quiet well at moment (6hrs since update!)

I asked about my Oticon 1 aids and will they suffice and she said yes. That they will
Work all the way to 90 decibel loss and I’m still away from that………

Sorry if I’m rambling on but really want to understand what’s going on, people who had the same or similar etc. I have no problem with the truth once I can be ready for it and worried they are not telling me everything!!!

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Edited

Are the numbers next to the frequencies your in hearing loss? That’s pretty close to normal hearing.

image

EDIT - Just looked at your uploaded . I’m a bit confused about what has happened to your high frequencies with regards to your numbers next to the frequencies in your post.

Edited

I have eustachian tube dysfunction as well as hearing loss. Your muffled hearing certainly matches what I experience. sometimes I get fluid trapepd behind my ear drum and that will affect hearing even more, giving a distorted, tinny sound to higher frequencies.

I’[m with Kaiser and after years they prescribed a bone assisted hearing aid–there are several, and I got the Osia. It bypasses the middle ear where conductive loss occurs and also bypasses the effect of eustachin tube dysfunction. It works amazingly well for speech in all circumstances and has restored my high frequency hearing loss in the one bad ear to near normal range–I mean, really close to normal! So with and conductive loss, this has been a good option.

But I also use trad ’s for playing and listening to live music.

Have you tried using psuedophed etc. to open the eustachian tubes?: I*t sounds like you doctors are discounting this and they’[re probably right. Still, wouldn’t it be a relief it that was the cause? The fact that you were on a flight just before all this is congruent with eustachian tube blockage. And that can’t be seen.

So you numbers are mostly from moderate into severe now, if I understand between your existing profile chart and the changes. That’s quite the wakeup surprise. I’m so sorry.

WH

By “mixed loss” do they mean both conductive and nerve loss? Recall that this is still early going and presumably your tubes are still blocked (?). The diagnosis isn’t firm, it sounds like. Perhaps give it some time and see how things develop.

I’m sorry, it’s scary to not know what’s going on and to not have any control. But you’re doing the right thing pursuing follow-up. Other than that, I don’t think there’s anything else you can do right now other than take care you yourself, be conscientious about going to recommended appointments, monitoring yourself for new symptoms, and try not to stress about it. :confused:

I’ve been struggling with this for years. Docs can’t figure it out.

I think i have it narrowed down to allergies. The dr office allergy test is not comprehensive enough. I don’t want to splurge on the home allergy food test.

A big factor was also shampoo. I didn’t realize it, but i was allergic to shampoo all soap. The only soap i can use is coast bar soap. After i swithed soap, i got some relief.

Caffeine and soda seem to make it worse.

Also, take some acid reflux pills for a couple days, see if it helps. When you sleep at night, you may not even know it, but acid runs up your throat into your eustachian tubes. Especially if you sleep in your side.

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