PSA since I think this needs to be shared: sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) can strike at random, but is a medical emergency.
I hope none of you ever experience it!! But if you ever wake up one day with a clogged ear, a decrease in hearing/muffled hearing and/or ringing - especially if it's only in one ear: Go to the emergency department. Not a GP or family doctor, and most definitely don't try home remedies of dripping olive oil into your ear. Please just go straight to emergency. Immediately. Right away. Without delay.
Even if the doctors find its just earwax, in which case - you can breathe easy - do insist for a comprehensive audiogram to be done (that is, one that goes higher than the usual 8k frequency). This is very, very important to rule out SSHL, because if it is indeed SSHL, treatment is most effective when started within 24 hours of symptom onset. Treatment effectiveness decreases with each passing day, and after 3 weeks, treatment may no longer have any discernible impact.
I'm starting on it very close to this 3 week mark, so I'm crossing my fingers that things will work out fine. it took me four doctors to finally get a proper course of treatment, because the first two did not realize it might have been SSHL since I didn't show the typical signs of a significant loss in hearing. The third did though, after a simple audiogram didn't show very good results (I had a big drop at the 6-8k range but they didn't have the facilities to test any higher). He warned me to seek a specialist immediately. That was when I found out that my range of loss was in the 8-10k frequency range. Prior to me starting treatment, it has thankfully improved from a moderately severe loss to a mild loss now, but it still isn't back to normal yet. Extrapolating from my first audiogram, the doctor shared that I likely did actually have a big drop in that area all those days ago, which would have warranted an SSHL diagnosis.
It's 20 days after my symptom onset, and Day 2 of medication, and the side effects are horrid to say the least. As long as it helps... I guess I have to try to just bear with it for now.
Which reminds me - speak to your doctor on the potential side effects and how to prepare against it, because it would help to brace yourself for a tough few weeks! Much better than being caught off guard.
I know this is supposed to be a blog dedicated to writing, but I don't have another Tumblr so...feel free to AMA about this! Either in asks or messages.
















