• I have been dignosed with OTOSCLEROSIS,what are the treatments?

• If you had tubes in the ears when u r little till now at the age of 42 can it hurt the ears to have hearing lose and why does this happen?

• I have never had hearing problems until after physical therapy in 2009 from an automobile accident.. .

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having trouble hearing hard vowel sounds ie. B, K, T. I have tinnitis. Does tinnitis cause hearing loss?

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: If your Tinnitus covers special audio frequencies, it is possible that your understanding of letters or words is reduced. But basically Tinnitus does not cause primarily a hearing loss.

Born hearing impaired, but not officially tes

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: So, I will try to give you some tips, what to do. First of all, you have to consult an ENT specialist to get complete and meaningful hearing tests. Then, you definitely need new hearing aids, adapted to your hearing loss (the ones from your great aunt are definitely not fitting). What you would have to do afterwards is to contact a clinic for communication disorders, to learn "hearing" probably. Sorry, I do not know, where you live, but thats the way, we handle such problems in Germany, independent on the age of the patient.

I have been diagnosed with Otosclerosis. I have hearing loss in both ears. I visited my ENT an

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: It is very difficult to make remote diagnostics in your case. But, if symtoms are varying and sometimes you have a normal hearing, it rather sounds like a disorder in ventilation of the Eustachian tube. It could be very well related to allergies. You should consultate an ENT Clinic. If diagnosis is not clear, sometimes they have to have a look in the middle ear and check the mobility of the ossicles. That would help you to get an answer.

My 15mth old son was tested at birth and his he

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: You definitely have to consult an ENT specialist. It sounds like your son has some mucus in the middle ear, caused by an upper airway infection or adenoids. Thats somthing that can be treated very well. Nevertheless the hearing of your son has to be tested, sometimes virus-infections of the middle ear can also cause permanent hearing loss. So, you should please consult a specialist as soon as possible.

I was born deaf in my right ear and i had alot of surgies i just want to no why wont it stay open?

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: Sorry, for a meaningful answer, I have to know, what kind of operations you had. What do you mean with "to stay open". Was there a stenosis of the ear canal? Please let me know some more details.

On Wednesday night, I was sitting at my computer and suddenly I could not hear out of my left ear. I went to the walk-in-clinic and the dr.

Dr. Beiny: Thank you for your message and we hope that your hearing has started to recover by the time you read this.

Sudden Onset Hearing Loss, SOHL, is a reasonably rare occurrence.
You have done the correct thing by attending an urgent appointment rather than waiting to see if the hearing recovers by itself. SOHL is defined as greater than 30 dB hearing loss occurring over 72 hours or less. It occurs most frequently in the 30 to 60 years age group and affects males and females equally. Although called sudden, it seems unlikely that hearing loss is abrupt but rather it probably evolves over a few hours.

SOHL can affect different people very differently. SOHL is usually unilateral and is often accompanied by tinnitus. vertigo, or both. The amount of hearing loss may vary from mild to severe, and may involve different parts of the hearing frequency range. SOHL may be temporary or permanent. About one third of people with SOHL awaken in the morning with a hearing loss.

Steroid treatment has been shown to be successful in some cases but there is presently no conclusive evidence that the treatment will work.
An injection into the eardrum appears to be the preferred method of treatment delivery (transtympanic/intratympanic treatment) for a significant hearing loss.
 
If they can be administered quickly (i.e. within 4-10 days) It appears to make more sense than oral steroids alone. Studies suggests that the optimum protocol is to use both injection and oral steroids but the published research is not strong enough to make steroid injections the "standard of care".

About 10 months ago my 12yo began having bilateral chronic ear infections. She has now had PE tubes twice and continues to have chronic ear infections

Dr. Kasper: Please contact a hearing health professional in your area who can review your medical history and discuss what options are available to you. You can find a local hearing health professional here.

61 years have had hearing loss for about 8 years....with tinnitus,,,,Have been to 3 ENT's no diagnosic Maybe menieres or autoimmune....Seems to be hereditary as my aunts had hearing loss, but my question is, now one of the ENT's has said I a

Dr. Fuchs: Unfortunately, it is not possible to give you a definite answer whether a cochlear implant is suitable for you without having seen the audiometric test results. It is a very individual decision whether a CI is the right choice for you or not. In my practice, I do have patients with cochlear implants, and most do better with the implant, but there are still some patients that do not hear better than with a hearing aid. The surgery is neither to stressful nor too painful, but it takes several weeks before the CI can be customized and the results can be measured. The decision for a CI should not be taken without a having seen a specialist at a clinic that has expertise in this field.

 

I had tympanoplasty surgery a month ago. the doctor said everything was fine and didnt see any underlying issues. He was however surprised when i lost my hearing. Hes done thousands of these surgeries

Dr. Kasper: Please contact a hearing health professional in your area who can review your medical history and discuss what options are available to you post-surgery. You can find a local hearing health professional here.

I have almost total hearing loss is my right year. I would say total but if I put a headset on just my right ear and turn the volumn to max I can faintly hear something. I am 69 years of age, but have lived with this p

Dr. Kasper: It sounds like you have been through a great deal to figure out what happened to your hearing and how to possibly achieve some improvement. Although this might be difficult, it might be important to come to terms with the fact that you might never truly know what caused your hearing loss in the first place. That said, current hearing testing technologies and a team of your audiologist and ear, nose and throat doctor should be able to provide you with a clear picture of your current hearing status including the type and degree of you loss. I would suggest scheduling an appointment with your local hearing healthcare team to start the process again. I believe you’ll be able to get answers to questions you’ve been asking for many years, including some solid recommendations to help you improve your communication ability.

My son

I’m not familiar with this particular program. I recommend that you speak to your local hearing health professional who should be able to provide you with additional information.

I have SHL. I did several rounds of steriods and did a steriod injection into the ear drum.

Dr. Kasper: Based on what you have written, it sounds like you might have experienced a sudden-onset sensory-neural hearing loss. Often your medical doctor will start you on a trial of oral steroids in an attempt to help the hearing recover. Another option if oral steroids are not as effective as hoped, your physician might choose to make a small incision in the eardrum to inject a steroid directly around a visible section of the inner ear. Chances are you should be able to fly without worry of harming your ear or hearing. You might wish to circle back with the physician who performed the injection on this question.

My hearing was tested about 35 years ago,they said it was

Dr. Kasper: Basic hearing testing (the “beep test”) has not changed significantly since the time you were first tested. What has improved is the equipment available and our ability to understand different parts of your hearing structures with respect to how they contribute to your ability to hear. One very interesting addition to our test battery is a test called OAEs, or Otoacoustic Emissions. OAEs allow us to identify subtle changes that occur to the tiny hair cells inside you inner ear before a hearing loss might be evident on a standard hearing test. If I had to choose one significant change to the testing patients receive it would be the level of knowledge our current clinicians possess. Technology moves ahead very fast and the academic and continuing education standards have helped maintain a high level of professional competence.

For the past 18 months, I've

Dr. Kasper: Ear pressure can be very uncomfortable, especially when you experience the additional pressure changes in airplane flight. I’m guessing that your medical doctors have performed a complete assessment of your hearing and breathing structures. If no congestion or fluid has been identified behind the eardrum it is quite possible the fullness you are experiencing might be related to an underlying sensory-neural (or “nerve”) hearing loss. If you have any reservations regarding the diagnosis you have been given by your medical doctors, receiving a second opinion is always an option.

I recently had

Robert Beiny: Clearing the ears by water irrigation is a common practice but it does present some risk. You should have been aware of these risks before the process was started. The most common problems are giddiness, an increase in noise in the head (tinnitus) and very occasionally the ear drum can be perforated. If the ears are uncomfortable do seek the help of an Ear Nose and Throat doctor as soon as possible.

Any damage is likely to temporary though.

I had a severe head injury when I was 16. I am now 48 and seem to have loss the ability to process out noise. It is so bad, that when I eat something crunchy, I can't hear the TV. Do hearing aids help this?

Robert Beiny: It depends on whether you have an associated hearing loss or not. If you do then hearing aids may well work for you and we would suggest making an appointment with a hearing healthcare professional to have a thorough assessment. The technology in hearing aids is able to filter noise and even connect to the TV by a small Bluetooth transmitter.

If you hearing is unaffected then you would probably be helped with some auditory training programme which can help improve your ability to focus on speech when other sound interfere in listening. This kind of therapy supports listening rather than hearing. Again speak to your local hearing healthcare professional about this.

Daughter had meningitis has now suffered some hearing lose, she is a Division 1 basketball player. I needed information on what type of device would be used that allows her to continue to play basketball.

Dr. Craig Kasper: While I cannot suggest a specific type of hearing device (this will depend on the degree of hearing loss and several other factors), I can confirm that there are many advanced technologies available that will help your daughter perform at a level necessary to compete in her sport. One issue that your daughter might need to pay close attention to is perspiration. Hearing aids are essentially mini computers and moisture may compromise their function. Key to her long-term success would be the care of those devices when they are exposed to sweat. To address this issue, her hearing healthcare provider might offer certain devices to remove moisture from the hearing instruments when they are not being used.

I have itchy ears deep inside for a couple yrs. My dr. said take oil

Dr. Craig Kasper: Dry skin in the ear canals may lead to an uncomfortable sensation and the urge to scratch. But please do not use any objects (bobbie pin, Q-Tip, etc.). Accidents happen and you may in fact cause some harm to the ear canal or eardrum in the process. If the original recommendation from your physician is not helping you, it might make sense to see a dermatologist. They are trained to manage skin-related issues like no other professional and would probably offer the best solution to ease the itch.

Had a cold, ears pluged up, feels like my fingers are in my ears. took sinus deconjestion, nothing is working. can barely hear, what to do next?

Dr. Craig Kasper: The first step would be to visit your licensed hearing healthcare provider for a full assessment.

I received a pair of hearing aids and they are just about useless. All they do is amplify sounds I have little interest in like a spoon dropped on the counter, etc.. It seems to

Dr. Craig Kasper: Hearing loss is something that usually occurs gradually over the course of a lifetime. Even with the most advanced hearing aids, it takes patience, time and consistent use to retrain the brain how to use that new information. When that occurs, your brain should have the ability to pay attention to the important sounds of life and filter out the ones that are not all that interesting. Your hearing healthcare provider might also offer an aural rehabilitation program that might help you adapt more rapidly to your new hearing aids.

Can sudden hearing loss be caused due to an automobile accident?

Dr. Craig Kasper: Automobile accidents can cause significant physical and emotional trauma. Hearing loss from a car accident may be the result from head trauma causing damage to the small bones in the middle ear. Also, if an airbag is deployed during the accident, the resulting level of noise has been shown to be at a level that can potentially cause noise-induced hearing loss.  

What can use to un plug an ear with out going to see a doctor

Dr. Craig Kasper: A “plugged ear” may be the result of several different underlying causes. Whether it is a wax blockage, fluid in the middle ear, or potentially a growth on the hearing nerve, the first step is to schedule an evaluation with your local hearing healthcare provider.

All of my mothers brothers and sisters(and herself) and her father had significant hearing loss as they aged(in their 70's +). Do you think this is genetic and what research has been done and any solutions on avoiding ths for myself and my siblings?

Dr. Craig Kasper: Hearing loss may result from a number of factors. Genetics plays a major role, but the effects of noise, certain medications, viral infections, and poorly treated chronic health issues (such as diabetes and high blood pressure) cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, we are unable to minimize the effects of genetics, but we do have control over how much noise we are exposed to and our overall level of health and wellness. Wearing hearing protection is recommended when you are in noisy environments, and maintaining a high level of overall health is helpful. I would also suggest pursuing hearing aids if you are diagnosed with hearing loss by your hearing healthcare provider. All studies show us that untreated hearing loss leads to feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety. 

What kind of professional work may be chosen by the person who hearing loss? If the person uses hearing aid, is it possible to have a job, which is connected with communication?

Dr. Craig Kasper: Over the years I have cared for countless people with hearing loss, many were successful business professionals, athletes, musicians, teachers, healthcare providers, etc. In short: having a hearing loss, or using hearing aids, should not determine the type of work someone pursues.

Speaking of "How Loud is Too Loud?" I'd like to know more about vibration which concerns me. I play piano and rely on hearing aid to hear.

 

For the past 6 months I suffered unusual headaches, hea

Robert Beiny: Simply measuring the physical intensity of sound cannot assess the potentially damaging effect of noise as the ear doesn’t respond equally to all tones – treble (high) frequencies are much more damaging than low frequencies at the same intensity levels. Consequently, most sound level meters are equipped with a filter that is designed to de-emphasize the physical contribution from frequencies to which the human ear is less sensitive. This filter is referred to as the A filter and measures as dBA.

As hearing damage tends to affect higher tones, your reactions may be linked to the bass sounds you complain about. Research reports that chronic noise exposure increases fatigue symptoms and irritability. Sustained exposure to loud noise is associated with adverse consequences other than hearing loss. For instance, sustained exposure to unwanted loud noise is annoying. Scientists report unwanted noise at any level is annoying; at 72 dB(A), 100% of people rated unwanted noise as either "somewhat annoying" or "rather annoying."

It is unlikely that the noise will damage your hearing further. If you find the sound more annoying when you wear your hearing aid then see if it is possible to have a special programme created to reduce the effect of the noise as much as possible. This will depend on the model you wear.

I am a dental hygienist and I was wondering if there is a suggested ear plug that can be used to prevent further hearing loss from the ultrasonic

Dr. Craig Kasper: A great option for this specific case would be custom musician’s earplugs with filters. The musician’s earplug was designed so performing artists could prevent potential damage to their hearing while still allowing them to hear their music clearly. Although it was originally designed for musicians, this form of hearing protection is useful in any situation where you might be exposed to potentially dangerous levels of sound but still need to hear all sounds (including speech) clearly.

My SNL was preceded by flu symptoms -2 wks ago.Am taking steroids.Should I also receive anti-viral meds, and if so, when?

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: Not necessarily. It depends on the examination results; so talk to your local ENT specialist about this.

SNL- When preceded by flu-like symptoms, what if tests-other than MRI- would you recommend? Should I be tested for autoimmune diseases?

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: No, I don’t think that a test is required at this point. It happens quite frequently that the flu symptoms and the virus are long gone before the ear recovers.

Re SNL: I understand some are lucky to have hearing spontaneously restored. Any idea when that typically occurs? Also, I have Swishing sound in that ear. Can I expect that sound to become "less bothersome/softer" with time, & if so, by when?

Dr. Michaela Fuchs: If the symptoms stay for more than 4 weeks, you have to be patient. The sound will slowly be less bothersome, but it can take up to 1 year before that happens.