Any Cure Out There for Hearing Loss So Far?

I have both Tinnitus and Hearing Loss. I am a firm believer that both go hand by hand.

Regardless, in 2019, what is the medical cure that is currently out there to boost my hearing capabilities?

I lost hearing on the 6 kHz range from my left side around week ago all out of a sudden while driving on a road trip—lost around 20 dB.

I really want my hearing back, I already went to the ENT specialist and all he told me was to "keep wearing hearing protection" (which is something I always do by wearing ear plugs everyday 24/7).

 

If you lost hearing "all of a sudden" you should go see a doctor as soon as possible, as Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss is considered an emergency. I don't know how you came up with the 20 dB value, but in order to qualify as SSNHL, I think you have to have a drop of 30 dB over 3 sequential frequencies in the Pure Tone Audiometry test.

The typical treatment for SSNHL is steroids, either oral or intratympanic. It is believed that the longer you wait, the less effective such treatment is, so time is of the essence.

 

Go back to the ENT or emergency room and ask for an injection or a course of prednisone??? Why didn't he give any of these to you??

 

How can I get assessed ASAP. This happened a week ago, I already went to see my ENT and he told me this was not a SSNHL and that I should just keep wearing my ear plugs as usual.

 

How would I know? Damn now you are all just making me feeling stressed out...

 

I wasn't trying to make you stressed. I'm more confused by your doctor. I apologize.

 

Funnily enough he mentioned me "not to believe everything I read on the internet". I mean, yeah he is right... But the weirdest thing is that hearing loss is something so neglected that not even a single ENT can give you proper advice??

 

Can you meet with him again, or go to the ER and tell them what happened? Do you have a copy of your audiogram to show them if you do go in? Some doctors are just not up to par sadly.

 

There is no way I can meet up with any doctor right now. It's Sunday. And I do not think the ER could assist me asap.

I really do not know what to do now. You are all just making me anxious. I do not want to go all the way to the ER, freak them out, just for an actual ENT specialist to come by and tell me "this is normal, but there is nothing we can do. You have had this hearing loss for a long while already"

 

Did you do a hearing test? How did you come up with the 20 dB value?

Perhaps you didn't qualify (I stated the criterion in my previous post) as SSNHL.

 

I did not do a formal Audiometry Test, I did it at home with my headphones and a DAW to play around with the Frequencies.

 

OK, you should probably ask for a PTA test to check whether or not you can be formally diagnosed with SSNHL.

If I were in your shoes I'd get a second opinion, and I'd make sure I get an audiogram out of the process.

Another doctor may look at the audiogram and draw different conclusions.

Good luck!

 

Again, there is no doctor now whom can do me a PTA. It is Sunday and tomorrow is Holiday. I really wish I could get a PTA asap but that is not happening. Alternative is, should I get the Prednisone asap? I really want to get this solved asap since my right ear also suffered a SSNIHL once.

 

^ This.

 

Why didn't the ENT do a hearing test? Guy comes in with sudden hearing loss, and no hearing test is performed?

That's like you going to a doctor with a possible broken finger and the doctor never does an X-ray.

 

You are always wearing earplugs 24/7? Also before your hearing loss?

 

In many places, the ENT doc isn't "equipped" to do a PTA test: they refer the patient to an audiologist for that. That's what happened to me.

I do wonder how the ENT doc was able to rule out SSNHL without having any threshold data in hand, though.

 

For the most part I agree.