# Hearing loss and tinnitus



## Piney Woods (Jul 5, 2006)

I woke up one morning in August unable to hear out of one ear. Thought I had a cold or allergies, but went to the doctor early September to make sure. First doctor was a quack so I went back to my old internist that I really respected. We tried two rounds of antibiotics and one round of steroids. No change. He referred me to a board certified ENT who spent 3 hours doing tests and hearing tests. He seemed somewhat puzzled but said it must be age-related hearing loss and maybe we should talk about hearing aids in the near future.

I really don't think it's age-related hearing loss. Not that I'm not old enough, just saying that age-related hearing loss is usually chronic, gradual and bilateral (both ears), where this was sudden and only in one ear. 

The tests showed that I have negative pressure in the bad ear, which tells me there's fluid in there plus sometimes I can "feel" it. When I tilt my head back or roll over from that side I get so dizzy I can't stand it. More steroids have not helped. 

I think I can hear a little in that ear but that it's distorted. If I was completely deaf I think the songs I hear would be clear and normal when I listen on my left side. I went to my grandson's band concert and could hear the teacher talking, but couldn't understand most of what he said. I could hear some notes when they played but not all of them. Sadly, when I listen to my good 1960s music, there are a few songs I don't even recognize until they are half over because of distortion. Heard Layla the other day and had to turn it off. It actually hurt my ears. Sometimes I realize I have the TV volume turned up to 70. I was never a loud rock music type of kid so I don't think it's related to that. I work in an office - no loud machinery.

I have a full feeling below and behind my ear and have occasional discomfort. My follow up is January 15. I'm not sure he's going to do anything to help me. The tinnitus is so loud at night I can't sleep. I have always slept with a box fan for noise. Now it sounds like a box fan in my left ear and in my right ear it sounds like an propeller airplane engine.

Has anything worked for you if you have ear fluid and/or tinnitus?


----------



## 5allensforever (Nov 14, 2015)

I am pretty much in the same situation as you. Nothing has helped me in 25 years. The doctors tell me they don't know why I'm losing my hearing and offer no help/hope. I would think I would get used to the ringing in my ears but I don't - get used to it that is. Sometimes the noise is so loud it wakes me up. I try to put a good face forward and make a joke out of what is not laughable at all but I keep that to myself. Large open rooms are the worst for me. If there are several people talking, I have a hard time filtering out the sounds of the people I'm not talking to. Sometimes people tell me I look like I'm frowning when what I am doing is intently watching their mouth and trying to figure out what they are saying. I hear male voices better than female. I admit - and this is the funny part - to sometimes pretending I don't hear people, especially ones I don't want to talk to. If the person gets louder or insists that I speak with them I apologize and say ... I'm hard of hearing and then I answer their question if I want to. If not, I walk away and leave them standing there wondering if I heard them or chose to be rude. Mean, I know but I find there are people I don't want to talk to so it doesn't bother me to "chose" to not hear them. I miss music. I used to love it but now it is harder and harder to catch the words. I often have talk radio or the tv on just for the noise and to drown out the ringing in my ears. I wish I could offer you some advice but I don't have any. Just wanted to let you know that there are others who understand what you are going through.


----------



## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

My hubby has tinnitus in both ears. He was a drummer in his youth without ear buds use. At night, he sleeps with a rain noise on so loud it is like a waterfall. He says it is the only way he can sleep. We all have to talk louder for him to hear us above the ringing. This has gotten worse lately. We did move from Washington to Colorado though and live at high altitude here. I am curious to see is he improves when we move back to sea level. 

He has begun taking a Tumeric tea blend every morning, reduced his coffee a lot and meditates. He says this calms him and levels his mood. I don't know how one handles all that ringing, he says it is very hard. He is 50 years old.


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I have had ringing in my ears as long as I can remember. Caffiene makes it worse.

My husband also lost the hearing in one hear. It happened one day during his lunch hour. The hearing just suddenly went away. It can mean you have a brain tumor, so he went the next day to a hearing specialist. No tumor, and they cannot explain it. It is not rare, though. Since then, he has quit two choirs he sang in. It is just too hard for him to not hear on one side. He still plays in a folk band and now sits on the end instead of the middle.


----------

