How I Lost My Hearing:
Just over a month ago I went to bed with a ringing sound in my right ear. In the middle of the night I was awoken by screamingly loud tinnitus in my ear. By the morning the tinnitus had replaced my hearing and I was completely deaf in the ear. It was frightening and baffling. I went straight to the doctors where they tested my hearing with a tuning fork, both air and bone tests confirmed that I had lost my hearing. I was given an emergency referral to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) department at the local hospital (incidentally this referral didn’t arrive for 3 weeks!).
What I Did Next:
Later that day I took matters into my own hands and contacted a friend who is a Registrar at a hospital in Essex. He spoke with some colleagues and told me that I shouldn’t wait around for a letter to turn up and that I needed urgent treatment that day. So I went to the hospital and the ENT department prescribed me Prednisolone (steroids) to reduce inflammation, Betahistine (for the vertigo and dizziness), Aciclovir (antivirals) and something to stop all the pills hurting my stomach.
Diagnosis:
I have been classified as having Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL). It is rare, only affecting about 4000 people in the USA each year. It varies in intensity of symptoms and only in 15% of cases can the exact cause be determined. I had a rabies vaccination on the day that the hearing loss happened. It seems that this was the cause in my case. Possibly a bad reaction to something inside the vaccination. I was meant to be working in Peru now, but had to cancel the trip.
Treatment:
After starting on the medication I became very unwell. The most acute symptoms lasted about four days with nausea, vertigo and fatigue. I spent a further three weeks in bed. It was extremely distressing and at points I felt very low. I was in and out of hospital for blood tests and I even had an MRI scan to rule out a tumour. Luckily all the blood tests and the MRI scan were clear. I was then referred to a specialist in London who gave me two steroid injections into my ear over the course of a week. This involved piercing the ear drum with a fine needle and injecting the fluid into my middle ear. It was very painful and uncomfortable but I’m glad I had the chance to undertake the procedure.
Recovery:
It’s now over a month since this happened and I’m starting to do half days at work. I’m off all the medication. Balance and fatigue are issues and I have good and bad days. On a bad day things spin and I have to lie still. I still have no hearing and loud tinnitus in my right ear and quieter tinnitus in the left ear. I’ve had four audiology tests and the left ear seems okay at the moment. For anyone going through a similar ordeal I would say that getting treatment as quickly as possible is supposed to increase your chances of recovering hearing. It does all depend on how serious the loss was to begin with, and in my case it was very severe. Only time will tell how my recovery goes. I know that some people live with the vestibular disorder (balance and vertigo) for months and in some cases years.
Staying Positive:
The best advice I have received is to rest, drink plenty of water and stay positive. It’s been a huge shock to the system and my family and friends, it takes time to recover from something like this and you need to give your body that time and space to recuperate. As a musician my hearing is very important to me and I’m currently uncertain about what this means for the future. All I can hope is that I keep getting better. I’ve learned that there are a lot of musicians who suffer from tinnitus (Chris Martin & Neil Young) and some who are even deaf! Beethoven being the obvious example. They are inspirational figures and whenever I feel a bit low I remind myself that things could be worse and that with positivity you can overcome adversity. Onwards and Upwards!
Click here to read my post Sudden hearing loss – one year on
30 comments
Angela
Rob! I wish you a speedy recovery….Really sad for you… Staying positive will be a huge result in your recovery.
Lots of Love. Angie xxx
Rob
Thanks Angie,
I appreciate it! Hope you guys are well xxx
Emma Newbold
I can’t believe it I had to keep reading it !! I can’t believe this has happened to you I wish you all the strength in the world to get through this and pray that you get your hearing back. We take things like this for granted until they are gone xx
Turk
So sorry to hear about this news mate. Wish you a speedy recovery! T
Rob
Hey Thanks Ercan, I appreciate the message dude. I’m back at work doing half days and starting to get well. Hope all’s good with you.
Rob
Hey Emma, thank you for the message! I know its been really weird! Who knew that this could even happen to someone! I hope you are well x
Miles
Hi Rob,
I am so sad to hear about your hearing but can tell you that I have a very good friend who as a drummer has suffered this same problem. He has blown me away with his positivity and perhaps more importantly found a path as a drummer still by becoming an expert brushes player and a producer. It was so shocking for him as he was only 23 and at the top of his session career but patience and positive thinking helped him find a path and he’s doing as well as if not better through the adversary. Stay strong!
MilO X
Rob
Hey thank you for your comment and kind words. I’m still hoping this may improve and even if it doesn’t as long as I have one good ear im going to keep on making music! Album 2 is being created as we speak and this has given me more energy to make sure I get it done and out there as soon as I can. Thank you for the support!
Martin Lumsden
Wow Rob, just saw this story thru a link on Facebook. Hope you are continuing well on the way to recovery. All the best.
Rob
Thanks for the message Martin! Getting better every day.
Fiona
Hi Rob. So pleased to find this. I too suffered SSHL in February this year. Probably due to Emotional Exhaustion. I have exactly the same symptoms. No hearing in right ear, continual dizziness, feeling like I’m permanently drunk, and the worse bit is the dreadfull high pitch, very loud Tinnitus 24 hrs a day. All I can do is pray that it will subside with time. Great to meet you. X
Rob
Hey Fiona, thank you for the message. I am very sorry to hear about your SSHL. It has been a roller coaster ride for me. I am now starting to get back to work slowly. I still have the tinnitus as you do 24 hours a day, that very high pitch sound. I find working near computers helps drown the noise out. I was given various advice regarding the tinnitus which I will put together in a separate blog post – I’ll aim to get that done today if possible. The main thing I found is to keep calm and look after my health, eat well, exercise more etc. That really does help. Thank you for reaching out and I hope your symptoms do subside with time, I believe they will. x
Amy Doyle
This was a great post, thank you Rob! I recently read a similarly helpful post by a former professor with hearing loss about his experience — I think you and others might find it interesting: http://bit.ly/RonaldClaytonAudicus
Rob
Hi Amy,
Thank you for your message. What is your relationship to the Professor and to Audicus?
Best, Rob
Candice
Any improvement? I also have SSHL…bilaterally…Plus damage to my balance…music was also very important to me … just checking out how others have recovered/adapted, best wishes Candice
Sasha Ray
Hello Rob,
I just discovered your blog and read this with great interest. Four weeks ago I suffered SSHL in my left ear, in my case unexplained but possibly viral. I don’t have the tinnitus but I have a horrible ‘fullness’ feeling and sound is distorted in that ear. I had oral steroids, and the other meds you mention from 10 days in after consulting a private ENT (GP did nothing). Like you the medication made me quite ill and exhausted and I’ve been low trying to come to terms with the fact this has happened. So far no change in hearing. I’m writing because I find it inspirational that you have been able to continue your music career and be so positive even though it has obviously been difficult. I just wondered if you could tell me how it is for you now 1 year on, as I am hoping that the brain adjusts in time to the world sounding different (and my ear feeling different). What was your experience of getting better? Thank you so much for sharing your story x
Rob
Hi Candice,
Thank you for your message on my blog. Apologies for the long delay in replying, I have been traveling in Australia and am now catching up! Its now a year since this happened to me and its time for an update which I will be publishing shortly. I am very sorry to hear that you too suffer form this, I feel very lucky to only have it in one ear. Do you play an instrument or are you a music lover in general?
Thank you for reaching out,
Best,
Rob
Rob
Hello Sasha,
I am sorry to hear about this, how are you feeling now a few months on? Has there been any improvement for you? I am going to publish an update about this, because as you rightly say its been just over a year now for me. I will address your questions in that post. Best, Rob
Rob
Hi Sasha,
I just wanted to update you on the latest with my hearing loss journey. I recently launched a crowd funding campaign to record a new EP and spread the word about Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) Here’s a link to the campaign on Indiegogo http://igg.me/at/half-heard there is a video you can watch. Any support you can offer in contributing or sharing will be appreciated.
How is your health now since July?
Best, Rob
Vidya Narayanan
Thanks for sharing your experience about hearing loss and treatment. Really appreciate your positive approach.
Rob
Hi Vidya, thank you for your comment 🙂
steve
hi rob I too have lost my hearing this way and find it very hard to except this awful sshl. I to am into music, not in your way but selling hi end hifi equipment and love my sounds. kind regards steve
Rob
Hey Steve, Thank you for reaching out to me, sorry in the delay in getting back to you. Have you had your issues for long? If you are on Facebook we have a group for SSHL @Sudden Hearing Loss Support Group
Best, Rob
Luis
Hi Rob,
Hope this email finds you well. I am writing from Costa Rica, we share the same illness, fortunately, I have recovered, I would say 100% my right ear, but tinnitus is still there after three months and a half I was detected with Sudden deafness. I would like to hear your comments about if Tinnitus can go away since my last audiometry was in normal levels.
Thanks for sharing your case with us.
Warm regards from Costa Rica!
Luis.
Rob
Hello Luis!
Thank you for getting in touch all the way from Costa Rica. I am very pleased to hear that you got over your illness. I still suffer from the Tinnitus. My good ear has only just recently started to change in the level of tinnitus, its got a little worse. However overall I just get on with things and try to not let it affect my life too much. Getting lots of rest helps. If I wake in the night its very bad for some reason. Do you mind me asking how your hearing loss was triggered? Best Rob!
Luis
Rob, thanks for your response back. Medics cannot find a root cause, there are multiple possibilities of my sudden deafness. As you know, if you suffer a sudden deafness, time is valuable in order to have a better diagnostic. I would say that Hyperbaric Chamber was key on my recuperation and also a high dosis of thrust in God. He is my strength and I trust he will help me with Tinnitus…
Dennis
Hey Rob,
April 29th I got ringing in my right ear. I thought it would pass in a couple minutes. WRONG! a few minutes later that is all I could hear out of my right ear (no other sound). The next morning I woke up and had vertigo so intense that I was staggering and bumping into walls then the nausea kicked in. Went to the hospital, they checked my out for stroke and other stuff then released me to an ENT that took me 4 long days to get to see him. Viral meds, Prednisone, and antivert. After the 14 days of that stuff my hearing test was actually worse. He sent me to get another opinion since I did not respond to the steroids. Now they are talking about hearing aids. The sound I did recover (thank the Lord!) is muffled, so a hearing aid will just amplify the muffled sound. Staying positive is a challenge when you are dealing with tinnitus, vertigo, and nausea. It has been almost 2 months since then and I am still walking and driving like I’ve been drinking. (NOT GOOD). I play guitar and can’t hear the e string without amplification. This condition is life changing. I am keeping my faith in the Lord that he is still healing me. Trying to say strong. Dennis
Rob
hey Dennis, thank you for reaching out – I am sorry to hear your story, as a fellow guitarist I feel your pain! It sounds like you are doing all the right things. It’s great that you got some hearing back (even if muffled), it really is better than total deafness because you can at least have a more 3D audioscape, the brain is pretty incredible at filling in the missing pieces – this does take time. I hope you continue to stay positive on your road to recovery.
Pouya
Hey there…im sorry about that…
Me to im a musician and i diganosed with sshl moderate low tone loss and its been two weeks and i had done all the medications (predinosolon,aciklovir,injecting dexa) my hearing is getting better but i dont if it would be back to normal…i hope…doctors told me that there is hope of recovery even one year! So i hope we get better soon buddy…good luck \m/
Rob
Thank you for your message and good luck with your recovery. Rob