16 kHz Hearing Loss — Intratympanic Steroids or Stem Cells?

I am two weeks out of a noise exposure with considerable loss at 16 kHz. Lots of threads here on both treatments but I was wondering if anyone has had success with either. IT carries many risks and would need a series of four. Stem Cells are hard to find in the US. Or is recovery at that high of a frequency not possible?

 

Why would you even want to recover at 16 kHz? It's way outside the speech range.

 

Neither is a guarantee but I would definitely do the steroids if it were me over stem cells acutely. It seems to make a pretty big difference in sudden hearing loss.

 

For one, because sudden hearing loss in the upper frequencies gives you tinnitus.

 

Because my entire frequency response has been affected. I have always had a dip at 8k which hasn't changed. Things now sound vastly different. I'll explain more in another post.

 

My doctor told me the SSHL is more associated with a viral cause rather than noise-induced. So fewer studies on IT for NIHL.

 

Found this:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28125313/

 

How were you able to measure that?

 

Extended high frequency test.

 

Hm, I wonder if they simply don't exist in Sweden. I've been looking and looking.

 

Also, I'm very sound conscious so I knew when things were different. Ex. ripping paper, water in the shower, my guitar.

 

I'm so sorry that happened. I'm guessing the NMN/NR wasn't much help?

 

You are correct. I would say it's only effective for very mild T.

 

That's been my worry too with it and all the other supps. I hope things improve for you soon.

 

They exist. I made one through ”STOP-projektet”.

 

Damn, maybe I should have gone then. I just didn't see any point in risking doing the other tests.

 

I refused to go through the other tests. The audiologist just looked at me like ”what is wrong with you?” Then he called on Christopher (the manager for the whole project), who came in and had a chat with me for two ours about tinnitus, then he offered me and extended audiogram.

 

An audiologist got MAD at me for refusing to do a tympanometropany test. She was like 65, I'm amazed she doesn't realize that for some people that test is dangerous after all those years

 

Hahaha, unbelievable.

 

For me it makes no sense to search treatment, involving drugs like steroids, let alone stem cells, just for a loss on such a high frequency... even if it affects your tinnitus, I think you are likely to get back to baseline. The tinnitus is a consequence of hearing loss normally, but it also can get reactive to the frequency you don't hear, when you hear that sound above your hearing threshold. However, 16 kHz is a very high frequency... Do you perceive sounds on that frequency often? Which sort of sounds?

 

@Samir You mean my audiogram result?

They wanted to do a lot of loud tests, but I don’t know the name of them. I remember it was tympanometry, and other tests that can reach up to 90 dB.

I only did the extended audiogram and LDL (loudness discomfort levels).

 

Here is my audiogram up to 16kHz.

 

Can you elaborate please? Listening to the "problem frequency" even if you don't hear it because of hearing loss can ramp up tinnitus, is that what you mean?

 

Interesting. Do you know what frequency your highest pitched tone is?

 

As someone who does a lot of planks, did you do them often before this incident?

 

Yes that, but mainly the Auditory brainstem response test or whatever it's called. I think it's 90 dB sounds in headphones for an hour or so. Not exactly my idea of a constructive thing to do with my time

 

What does the "U" mark mean?

 

That's a perfect audiogram. Can you swap it with mine? :-P

The LDLs seem pretty low though. Was it because you were already feeling very bothered by sound at 55 - 60 dB or because you didn't want to risk it with higher decibels?