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no background noise in this pub

~datacrime

Hello, world. Maybe this'll be useful to someone who might experience this someday and is anxious or simply curious.

On Tuesday I lost all hearing in my left ear over the course of three hours. I had that otherwise common, ephemeral tinnitus that one sometimes experiences for 3-4 seconds. I had an unusual number of bouts, and they started lasting progressively longer. Then hearing just never returned.

I'm somewhat acquainted with this phenomenon known as idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, so I went to a GP for oral prednisone, which is the first line intervention. On Wednesday, I went to an ENT for a full work-up and intratympanic dexamethasone, or a shot in the ear. This sounds worse than it is. A cotton swap of phenol anaesthetic is dabbed on the eardrum, which is just a slight burn for about 1 second. The only feeling after that is a cool sensation when the dex is administered into the inner ear. It's an odd but entirely tolerable sensation. Then it's just a matter of sitting there for 15 minutes while is "marinates." Anyway, nbd; I did another injection today, and it was even easier.

Now, it's Friday. I've gone out with friends, rode my motorcycle, visited restaurants. Things sound weird, and I certainly have to concentrate more to hear, but it's fine. Maybe I'll recover enough to be able to use a hearing aid. Based on the available literature, it appears that the 3-week mark is the most important. If anything significant will happen, it'll be more the 90% likely to happen within those 3 weeks.

If nothing improves: oh well. I've got another ear. For me, a good outcome will be simply preserving that one, which I've been assured is extremely likely. So, in that regard, it's kinda like the backup plan is working out. Not ideal, but this is a mitigated situation.

Also, the ear has no bearing on my ability to converse in this pub.

Cheers, all.

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Replies

~faiz wrote (thread):

Cheers. 🍺

Do you wear earplugs when riding your motorcycle? I have heard that not doing so can result in the loss of hearing.

~tetris wrote (thread):

Hey at least it's not an eye, and sometimes hearing less in this modern ever-more-verbose world of ours can be a blessing.

I have tinnitus too. For my own health, may I ask what degree you were experiencing it before it switched off?