Fluctuating Hearing?

meirad

meirad

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I've been having fluctuating hearing in my right ear. One day i was just watching t.v. and all of the sudden there was the huge lack of noise, the actors on t.v. sounded like they were mumbling and then this horribly loud tinnitus hit; worst loud ringing noise i've ever heard. I threw my hand over my ear in shock afraid i had lost my hearing and after a few minutes it was back to normal, but there was a feeling of pressure in my ears like i was on a plane. Has anyone experienced this before?

That was one of my worst experiences, but i've also experienced (every few days) where my hear will just dim out and come back after ten minutes or so, usually in my right ear and with a lot of pressure.:hmm: My sister says she has this every day :(.
 
we have someone here who's been here since she's a cookie biter and her name's plasticdinosaur so she'll bump up.
 
Thanks Safarigirl2011 for a step to research! Do you think it may be sensorineural?
 
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Yes I have had this condition for most of my life (currently 30) where it attacks my "good" ear (My right ear is completely deaf). Most of the time the fluctuations are minor but every now and then my hearing can drop significantly. You have described all of the major symptoms for what is called Delayed Endolymphatic Hydrops. Basically whenever my hearing drops I feel massive pressure in my ear, I'll start having massive tinnitus, my hearing will then drop, and sometime later most or all of it comes back. Occasionally I'll experience some minor vertigo but it is rare, mild, and last less than a minute.

Here's an article on DEH: [Delayed endolymphatic hydrops]. [Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 1998] - PubMed - NCBI

Keep in mind that there are varying levels of this and this article talks about more severe cases. Other than the fluctuation, do you have a hearing loss? In particular, do you have a loss in your left ear?

Anyways I would definitely go talk to a Nuerotologist about your symptoms and see what he says.
 
same thing happens to me sometime, my ears ring constantly and some days I can hear just fine, and other days I cant understand a lot of speech, I can hear it, I just cant comprehend it... its wierd. I have been thinking about going to the doctor, just havent yet.
 
Haven't seen a doctor yet, I'm working on scheduling an appoint with an ENT this week. I don't have hearing loss that i know of, sometimes strange things happen with my left too but my hearing is pretty sharp except when it comes to words, but that could just be my intolerance for noise (hyperacusis). I can hear a radio playing from over a block away.

I've only had one case of vertigo a few years ago. It lasted over four hours, i couldn't even open my eyes because they would move uncontrollably.

Celly37 I have tinnitus every day, it doesn't go away but varies in frequency.

Chadbert, exactly, i also get mini bouts of dizziness, and when i turn my head sometimes it feels delayed. Pretty strange ... Also, my ears pop and crackle. Do you get this?

Will look this all up, thanks guys!
 
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Dehydration can make your ears pop and crackle.
 
Really? I didn't know that. I will definitely drink more water.

I think your right on with the DEH, i just looked at what causes it and found that it can be caused by: Labyrinthitis, that one vertigo attack i had included every single symptom of it, and it was after i had a severe ear ache where i went to the hospital for pain meds. Here's the list:

"Abnormal sensation of movement (vertigo)

Difficulty focusing the eyes because of involuntary eye movements

Dizziness

Hearing loss in one ear

Loss of balance, such as falling toward one side

Nausea and vomiting

Ringing or other noises in the ears (tinnitus)"
 
meirad said:
Really? I didn't know that. I will definitely drink more water.
Click to expand...

We have genetic deafness in our family, but I found that out when one of my daughters, who is moderately hoh, was told that was the problem by the doctor.

At least at that moment. We were afraid we had somehow added Meniere's into the mix, which is one thing we haven't had in any of our generations.
 
Meirad, when you say pops and crackles I'm going to assume you mean that there is a sound kinda like fireworks/firecrackers going off or your ear physically pops like an elevation change?

I'm going to assume the first for now. I don't personally get the pops and crackles but I have heard of a few people with menieres that experience this. The pops and crackles may precede and attack so keep track of when they occur versus hearing fluctuations.

Unfortunately with a 4 hour long vertigo attack, that keeps straight up menieres in play. All of my few vertigo episodes have lasted less than a minute.

Another sign of either DEH or menieres is a reverse slope hearing loss where your high frequency hearing is better than your low frequency hearing although this is not a requirement.

PS. ENTs specialize in middle ear (as well as nose and throat) and may not be able to diagnose this. Definitely still go and present your symptoms and get a hearing test. If they aren't able to help, I would find your local nuerotologist/otologist as they focus on the inner ear or even ask the ENT for a referral. I went through 4 ENTs before I was referred to a nuerotologist that had answers. YMMV.
 
That must of been scary... I don't know if anyone in my family has ever had hearing problems, no one has ever said anything about it. But there have been a lot of firsts lately... If i get by with something like meniere's and nothing else it would be a miracle.
 
Chadburt kind of like both (a lot of crackle like when your smashing a potato chip bag, other times it may just be a pop or two) , when there is an actual elevation change like when i was on a plan going to germany, my ears hurt the entire time and wouldn't pop. The crackling and popping happens a lot too. I've only had the one vertigo attack and it was several years ago.
I plan on going straight from the ENT to get my hearing test same day. I'll request a referral.
 
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Well speak of the devil. I'm in the middle of a prolonged hydrops attack (5 weeks so far). Anyways, I just now sneezed, there was a loud pop, and suddenly sounds are highly distorted, some are softer, some are louder. I now sound like I'm on helium.

I'm going to start keeping a journal of what I'm eating, how I'm sleeping, and how my hearing is fluctuating. I would suggest you do the same as that will help with things. Also keep track of how much sodium and caffeine you are intaking as these can be triggers for menieres.
 
Strange. I wonder what causes it, maybe it's not just dehydration?
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

I have fluctuations SNHL on my hoh side (my other side is totally deaf +120db).
Typically the flux is between about 5db & 20db and can last between a few seconds and a few days.

I also have times when I'm stressed, tired or when I've almost fallen asleep where my hearing entirely cuts out (making me bilaterally 100% deaf). It usually lasts less than ten mins each time - though sometimes multiple times an hour.
 
I didn't know SNHL could fluctuate. I have much to learn. That sounds a lot like what my sister has, her hearing drops for up to a day or two at a time sometimes and she says we sound like we're mumbling to her when it happens. Except she isn't hoh that we know of, i'm dragging her to the audiologist too.

Safarigirl2011- Just new to this, it gets confusing.
 
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