Support for Loved One: Husband Suffered Sudden Hearing Loss, Vertigo, Dizziness & Tinnitus

My husband experienced sudden hearing loss in his right ear in Sept, along with horrible spells of vertigo, dizziness and much tinnitus.

We have been to 4 different doctors, all giving contradictory diagnoses. The last one we saw is an ENT who specializes in the E in ENT... He said he definitely has Meniere's (other ENT said he definitely did NOT have Meniere's ). Prescribed massive Prednisone for 14 days. Some hearing has improved as well as the vertigo, but the tinnitus is horrific for him (often sounding like a jetliner's engine is roaring in his ear).

Oh my Lord, there has to be something that can help this!

THANK YOU!

 

I have Ménière’s disease. Not much you can do for the tinnitus sadly. He can try Valtrex but the hearing loss is causing the tinnitus.

 

Welcome to the forum. Your husband's sudden hearing loss SSHL is similar to what I and many with SSHL have gone through. A year ago on December 10, I woke up with SSHL on my left ear. Then severe vertigo floored me with violent vomiting. I had to go to ER on ambulance. They ruled out stroke and I was prescribed with Prednisone, also antivirals and pills for helping dizziness. Later I had steroid injections plus 20 sessions of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. But none of them brought my hearing back sadly. A new roaring jet-engine like tinnitus has been with the deaf ear since besides the original dental drill like high pitch tinnitus on my right ear. So now I feel like I have a bass and a tenor singing their duet in my head 7/24. Lol.

There are also other nasty symptoms of severe hyperacusis which makes the ears super sensitive to even normal sounds. The ears often feel full or pressured and plugged and brain fog is frequent. So it was a nightmare for sure to a person to deal with these symptoms plus losing hearing. I can truly emphasize what your husband is going through. You can ask him to put a earplug on the good ear to see if the jet like tinnitus will feel less intense. That is what I do sometimes. But now I am getting used to it and I don't use earplugs much.

Saying that, life has generally gone back to normal for me. I am fishing, gardening, joining family picnics, exercising and will be cruising in the Caribbean in January if COVID-19 restrictions allow. Life goes on and the heck with tinnitus, hyperacusis and SSHL. I had written a success story before the SSHL and now I added the SSHL journey to the story where I shared some helpful strategies. It is titled "From Darkness to Light...". Check it out in the Success Stories section and perhaps share it with your husband.

All the best to you and your husband. Take good care. God bless his recovery.

 

Oh my gosh! This sounds just like me.

I had severe vertigo, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and was in the bed for two days before I went to urgent care. The doctor diagnosed me with Ménière’s and sent me to ER for MRI to rule out stroke.

I then went to ENT/Neuro who gave a steroid injection in my ear along with oral steroids. Profound deafness in left ear. I had another injection yesterday and I still have no improvement. He said it wasn’t Ménière’s and I don’t have a diagnosis.

It’s so very hard to get used to this. The ringing and the overwhelming sensitivity to the good ear. I can’t handle more than one person talking at a time.

The doctor said it would get better with time. I’m hopeful.

Take care!
Dana

 

I'd be tossing antivirals and HBOT at it as well in case it's not Meniere's disease.