Deaf in One Ear Due to Common Cold! UPDATE

[steamloco76]

I've had a 20% or so hearing loss in my right ear since I suffered a ruptured eardrum as a child. My left ear had above average hearing. Well, not anymore! Apparently the common cold virus has left me profoundly deaf in my left, formerly good ear and it wasn't die to a lack of medical attention.

Three weeks ago Monday I went to the Doctor because my left maxillary sinus and ear were congested. My nasal discharge was just slightly greenish, so they gave me Amoxillin and told me to use an antihistamine in addition to my allergy nasal spray.

Within the week, the "congestion" in my ear got worse, to the point where I couldn't hear much and I had tinnitus all the time. Back at the Doctor, they said my eustation tube was swollen shut and I had some fluid in the ear. They gave me a week's worth of prednisone. Other than raising my blood sugar (I'm diabetic) it didn't help my ear, so Back to the Doctor and they refer me to an ear, nose and throat specialist. Problem is, as you know with specialists, it takes time to get an appointment, in this case only five days, but still it seems like forever when you have a problem!

The ENT specialist used an endoscopic camera to examine my nose and sinus passages, plus my throat. He found no infection and the nasal spray and antihistamine had opened up my eustaction tube. My eardrum and ear were clear. The hearing loss is not conductive but auditory nerve related and is probably permanent.

Apparently, the common cold virus causing congestion and thus pressure is one of the single most common causes of permanent nerve deafness. I have to see an audiologist for a hearing evaluation. Then have a blood test to see if I have Lyme Disease. Next am MRI to be sure I don't have a clot or some other damage which would be repairable. If the don't find another cause, then the only treatment to help salvage or regain some percent of hearing is inner ear high dose steroid injections. Normally, people take high dose oral steroids for this, however, diabetics lose blood sugar control and can suffer extreme kidney damage with the oral treatment.

I'm praying that the Lord will let me be one of the 25% of people whose hearing returns to somewhat normal levels is a couple of weeks. The treatment options, well the ENT said 25% of patients recover about 25% of their hearing, meaning 75% are not going to get any better.

Of all the ways I could have lost my hearing, loud steam locomotive whistles, many years of exposure to loud equipment in an enclosed room, gunfire, idiots pranking my with fireworks, I lose my hearing due to the common cold.

 

[billwill]

Hope things go well for you.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Sorry about your hearing loss! I lost 80% in one ear and 20% in other by the time I was in High School due to infections. In early 1974 I was prayed over by the elders of my church and have almost perfect hearing to this day! Medicine can only do so much, but "With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26, it is also the Ohio state motto.

Ivan

 

[da gimp]

prayers from Missouri........

 

[Snapping Twig]

Got the measles in '60, ironically only a month before the vaccine was issued at the local fire stations on a sugar cube - remember those days?

Permanently deaf in my right ear since.

It's a definite handicap - one nobody can see - so you'll have no sympathy and people will get irritated at YOU over it, but fear not, all is not lost.

If there's a disability you can work around, this is the one.

Crowds, parties, etc will be an issue, the background noise destroys any communication with people, but it can be overcome with patience and a willingness to accept the limitations.

You already have a 20% introduction to the problems over the years, so this will all seem very familiar to you.

You can work around it, I have for the last 56 years, you can too.

Keep the faith brother, life is what you make it.

 

[H Richard]

Keep you in my prayers. Having hearing loss to a minor degree gives me some indication of your distress.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I pray that your hearing returns to normal.

Please keep us in the loop.

 

[old bear]

I pray you are one of the lucky 25%.

 

[DeathGrip]

Prayers sent.

 

[sureshotbob]

I'll add you to my prayers .
Good luck with the treatment .

 

[Grip_Maker's_Wife]

I am impressed with your doctor and the tests they did to diagnose the problem. I do hope your hearing returns to normal. The hearing loss you have is not fun at all. I have hearing loss too and it very well could have been caused by something similar though the specialist brushed that off as insignificant.

I developed tinnitus nearly a year ago after nose reconstruction surgery (lost 1/3 of my nose from skin cancer). After the surgery, I had a chronic sinus infection with crackling and pain off/on in my ears. I was given two antibiotics initially but they did not help. After a few months it got better but then tinnitus started. I went to the Dr and was referred for a hearing test. It showed I had about 20% loss in one ear and 25% in the other of higher noises.

I was told I was "young" to have this problem and that although the hearing loss in both ears was similar it was still differrent enough and that called for an evaluation. I was then referred to an ear specialist. The Dr said he didn't understand why I was referred to him as there was nothing he could do. He didn't even look into my ears. I kept telling them the problem started with a sinus infection and they ignored it and tried to say it is "just one of those things" and I might have a genetic predisposition to it because my mom had hearing loss but hers didn't develop until she was in her 70's. Not even close.

I get pressure changes in my ears regularly, crackling, sharp pains, high pitch tinnitus where the sound gets really loud then low and almost inaudible. All of this was explained to them. I was told that was impossible for tinnitus to change in loudness, that it is the sound arround you that changes but I know this is not true in my case because the environmental sounds (mostly quiet) are constant when this happens.

They said I should go back in a year to see if anything has changed so I might just do that. It is bad enough to be hard of hearing but the tinnitus drives me crazy.

 

[Model 19 6"]

What did you say. I have 95 o/o loss in rt. ear from hole in ear drum, and infections as child. Last hearing test found out I now have about 60 o/o loss in left. Been to so called specialist all my life, am told it is nerve deafness. I hope all goes well for you.

 

[AzShooter]

I lost my hearing do to Jet Noise in the Air Force. Not fun. Now I use hearing aids or I can't here a thing.

Hope you have good luck and your hearing comes back. If not get hearing aids. They will help.

 

[steamloco76]

I am impressed with your doctor and the tests they did to diagnose the problem. I do hope your hearing returns to normal. The hearing loss you have is not fun at all. I have hearing loss too and it very well could have been caused by something similar though the specialist brushed that off as insignificant.

I developed tinnitus nearly a year ago after nose reconstruction surgery (lost 1/3 of my nose from skin cancer). After the surgery, I had a chronic sinus infection with crackling and pain off/on in my ears. I was given two antibiotics initially but they did not help. After a few months it got better but then tinnitus started. I went to the Dr and was referred for a hearing test. It showed I had about 20% loss in one ear and 25% in the other of higher noises.

I was told I was "young" to have this problem and that although the hearing loss in both ears was similar it was still differrent enough and that called for an evaluation. I was then referred to an ear specialist. The Dr said he didn't understand why I was referred to him as there was nothing he could do. He didn't even look into my ears. I kept telling them the problem started with a sinus infection and they ignored it and tried to say it is "just one of those things" and I might have a genetic predisposition to it because my mom had hearing loss but hers didn't develop until she was in her 70's. Not even close.

I get pressure changes in my ears regularly, crackling, sharp pains, high pitch tinnitus where the sound gets really loud then low and almost inaudible. All of this was explained to them. I was told that was impossible for tinnitus to change in loudness, that it is the sound arround you that changes but I know this is not true in my case because the environmental sounds (mostly quiet) are constant when this happens.

They said I should go back in a year to see if anything has changed so I might just do that. It is bad enough to be hard of hearing but the tinnitus drives me crazy.

A good Audiolarynologist would have taken a look at your sinuses through an endoscope and looked at your eardrums. Mine suspected nerve deafness as soon as I mentioned tinnitus, but since I'm under 50 he wants to explore all options, for which I am grateful.

The tinnitus is driving me nuts and it's only been a couple of weeks. Mine changes tone and intensity, so it's not just you.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Miserable set of circumstances. I pray for your recovery.

My dad lost all his hearing in one ear, and he made sure to claim a seat that pointed his good ear at people he spoke with.

On a similar subject, years ago, I told my Chiropractor about my granddaughter who had 3 recurring ear infections and had been scheduled to have surgery to implant a drain tube in her ear.

He told me of a procedure he had done successfully a dozen times that would fix the problem by relaxing the Eustachian tube, and asked me to prevail on my daughter to let him do it for her free of charge. She reluctantly agreed.

The procedure was that he attached the pads from his electrode-stimulation machine to his own fingers, and then used his fingertips to focus the charge to two spots on her face.
After a short treatment, he sent her home with the warning not to be startled with what came out of her ear that night.

The next morning, her pillow had globs of nasty stuff on it, and her ear infection cleared up and never returned.

I don't know exactly what he did, but it seems kind of like the subject of this research paper from the 70's.

Dilation of the Eustachian Tube by Electrical Stimulation of the Mandibular Nerve

 

[Grip_Maker's_Wife]

A good Audiolarynologist would have taken a look at your sinuses through an endoscope and looked at your eardrums. Mine suspected nerve deafness as soon as I mentioned tinnitus, but since I'm under 50 he wants to explore all options, for which I am grateful.

The tinnitus is driving me nuts and it's only been a couple of weeks. Mine changes tone and intensity, so it's not just you.

Thank you for your reply. I was made to feel stupid for being there by the doctor. Normally I am assertive when I know I need to push things with Drs but I do not know much about the ears so I did not know what to say.

I have several years to go before I hit 50 as well. I'll go for a recheck and insist on another Dr. I had no idea about these tests. Thank you for posting your story. I really hope your ears return to normal and the tinnits goes away. God bless.

 

[ralph7]

I am impressed with your doctor and the tests they did to diagnose the problem. I do hope your hearing returns to normal. The hearing loss you have is not fun at all. I have hearing loss too and it very well could have been caused by something similar though the specialist brushed that off as insignificant.

I developed tinnitus nearly a year ago after nose reconstruction surgery (lost 1/3 of my nose from skin cancer). After the surgery, I had a chronic sinus infection with crackling and pain off/on in my ears. I was given two antibiotics initially but they did not help. After a few months it got better but then tinnitus started. I went to the Dr and was referred for a hearing test. It showed I had about 20% loss in one ear and 25% in the other of higher noises.

I was told I was "young" to have this problem and that although the hearing loss in both ears was similar it was still differrent enough and that called for an evaluation. I was then referred to an ear specialist. The Dr said he didn't understand why I was referred to him as there was nothing he could do. He didn't even look into my ears. I kept telling them the problem started with a sinus infection and they ignored it and tried to say it is "just one of those things" and I might have a genetic predisposition to it because my mom had hearing loss but hers didn't develop until she was in her 70's. Not even close.

I get pressure changes in my ears regularly, crackling, sharp pains, high pitch tinnitus where the sound gets really loud then low and almost inaudible. All of this was explained to them.
I was told that was impossible for tinnitus to change in loudness, that it is the sound arround you that changes but I know this is not true in my case because the environmental sounds (mostly quiet) are constant when this happens.

They said I should go back in a year to see if anything has changed so I might just do that. It is bad enough to be hard of hearing but the tinnitus drives me crazy.

That statement is false.
My tinnitus changes pitch from a hiss to a high pitched sound every so often.
My prayers are with you guys as well.

 

[Owly]

This thread scares the heck out of me. I had no idea sinus pressure from a cold could cause permanent damage.
I have had ear and sinus issues my entire life and had tubes when I was little. Currently I'm battling a head cold that has settled in my right (good) ear. It's been three weeks and the plugged sensation is gone, but reduced hearing persists. It's a very noticeable difference and bothers me whenever their is background noise such as a fan or the TV. Not sure why I can't hear well when it doesn't feel plugged or blocked. I haven't seen a doctor because I figured it's just a cold and will go away on it's own. This thread has me fearing the worst.
My thoughts are with you OP. Hope with time your hearing is restored.

 

[Straightshooter2]

My mother lost about 90% of her hearing in both ears overnight. She was told by the doctor it was due to a virus. A few weeks ago I woke up on a Tuesday completely deaf in my right ear which, due to mom's hearing loss, concerned me greatly. The feeling was like my ear was stopped up. On Thursday I went to my doctor and she put me on an antibiotic and a nasal spray along with giving me the number of an EENT doctor. I was lucky as by Sunday, most of my hearing had returned although my tinnitus seemed a little worse.

 

[steamloco76]

Update

I saw the Audiologist and ENT Specialist again yesterday, plus had a huge panel of bloodwork pulled. The hearing test confirmed an 85 to 90% nerve conduction hearing loss in the affected ear. Also have a 20-25% high frequency loss in my right ear-which I knew going in.

The specialist gave me my first steroid injection through the eardrum yesterday afternoon. OUCH! Not pleasant, wish I could take the high does oral steroids, but being a diabetic, 60mg 'roids will cause blood sugars in the 700 plus range!! I have three more through the eardrum injections to go. The first one seemed to help a bit, I don't have the "dead hole" sensation in my left ear anymore.

Waiting for the blood test results, especially the Lyme's disease test. I've had two dogs with Lyme and humans CAN catch Lyme from dogs according to recent findings. The insurance company is balking at paying for a couple test, so I could be paying $$$.

Still in shock a bit, but my wife is really upset. There isn't anything either of us did, or can do other than get the treatments and pray for the best outcome.