Went to ENT and...

So after much work by my GPs appt nurse, I finally got an appt with an ENT. I saw her Thursday. I also had a hearing test next door to the ENT (it was scheduled that way).

- Hearing test showed stuff were good. Typical higher pitched hearing loss for my age bracket.
- My eustachian (sp?) tube was clear on both ears which shocked the shoot out of me. I am yawning a lot to try and relieve the pressure I feel.

ENT looked over my long list of meds but since there's not been any big changes to coincide with the onset of the high pitched tone, she's setting that aside for now. Because I have other health issues, her main concern was the dizziness "spells". My fall risk is high. I am to have an MRI and some sort of other pressure test? I wish I could remember the name of it.

Once everything else is ruled out, she said she may start me on the treatment for Meniere's. Typical of me, I don't fit the box of the diagnosis (I get extremely dizzy and can't focus, not true vertigo where the room spins). And she'll start me on a balance training which she feels I need anyway. Yeah, my partner laughed at that one.

The dizziness could also be a new type of migraine for me. Yay. I needed a new one. The old one is getting worn out </sarcasm>

 

The hearing test was only done up to 8000 Hz... not good enough. Get one that tests the whole range of human hearing - up to 18000 Hz.
There was also no otoacoustic emissions and acoustic immittance testing done. Might go back and have that done as well. If the audiologist you went to doesnt do those, find one that does.

 

I hope the rest of your tests go ok and on meds for dizziness.
Keep us posted, love glynis

 

What does the line through the audiogram on 25b mean?

 

@dpdx normal hearing

http://www.firstyears.org/lib/howtoread.htm

 

My hearing dropped from 5db to 30db on 4khz due to the vemp test, so I have mild hearing loss...

 

Audiologist says that's OK and it is caused by my anxiety.

 

@cspc how can I send you a pm?

 

Inbox> Conversations> Start new conversation and add cspc

 

Can anxiety really cause hearing loss?

 

they consider that dip at 4k to be normal hearing loss?

 

I doubt it.

 

No. But being anxious during an audiogram may cause someone to do poorly on the test. That’s not unusual; it’s something audiologists discussed with me.

 

I have had an MRI which showed no neuroma. Ear tubes were clear. Nothing of note except something about blood vessels in the frontal lobe and migraines (which I have).

I've been seeing a balance/vestibular PTist who is actually an MD of PT and specializes in this.
- I do not have BPPV (wore goggles with a camera as she lay be back with head turned and down)
- some nerve damage in left ear (wore another goggles but these I could see out of. kept my eyes on a target while she jerked my head)
- there's something with my eyes not wanting to converge properly? I have really bad astigmatism though. She has me doing a frustrating exercise of staring down a string that has 3 spaced beads. I focus at one at a time, forcing my eyes to adjust to the visual angle.
- to help with the nerve damage, I have an exercise where I have a target at 10' and another at arms's length. I keep my eyes on the target and nod my head NO as fast as I can for a full minute. Then YES for a full minute. Then repeat once each. But I can only get to about 20 seconds before I get too dizzy to continue.

The tinnitus has not changed. It is driving me insane. Short trip, but it's taking me there. I also have really bad earaches and have noticed the dizziness comes shortly after the ear ache reaches its peak.

I see the ENT again in October. They'll do another hearing test beforehand. That seems so far away.

 

Yes

 

lmao, hearing loss by old age is a real but hearing can be preserved through the majority of life much better by not exposing one self's to loud noise. I have a friend in his 40's that can hear up to 17,500hz

Yes there are genetic components to hearing loss, but lets face it noisy traffic, mp3 players, loud music, noisy subways ect modern city life is a hazard to our hearing and it's so common it becomes the norm

 

Your hearing looks good, although mine rebounded sharply at 8. Only dip was at 6. Worse in one ear like about 20 difference at 6.
Go figure why only at that level

 

If they are to blame for it sure. If in doubt blame anxiety, depression or stress and your off the hook. Out the door you go. Oh and by the way according to our 1940s audiogram you don't have any hearing loss so you can rest easy on that one, your hearing is perfect.