Hi all.
I'm new. I'm scared, and I am probably asking the same questions as so many others when they are first searching for answers. I'm sure you get tired of hearing them, but I guess I just need to talk to others about it, maybe to calm any fears? Support, I guess.
I am 42 years old. I've had ringing in the ears for years. I honestly thought it was normal, that everyone has that to some degree. But for the last year or two, I have had some trouble with hearing. It wasn't so much that I didn't "hear" a sound, as much as I couldn't distinguish the sound. I could hear someone say something, but not always tell you exactly what was said. It tends to be just one ear, my left. Loud noises bother me also. Sometimes my ears are really sensitive to the loud noises, even if I can't always distinguish the sounds...hope that makes sense.
I have suffered with vertigo off and on for years, but 6 weeks ago I suffered a bout that lasted for more than a week. I stayed in bed with nausea and vomiting as well. It was so much worse than typical "dizziness", this was dizziness on steroids! It was so powerful when it hit, so sudden, that it would literally take my breath away. It has gotten a little better with steroids and antivert, but I still have issues when changing positions. Rolling over in bed or tilting my head to look upwards seem to be the triggers for now.
I went back to my primary doc yesterday, who sent me for an immediate hearing test. Long story short, he thinks it may be a nueroma? He's ordered another test to "check the firing of the nerve"? then if it shows positive, will order an MRI with contrast.
It's not cancer, he says, so that eases some fear, but I am worried about it.
I'm afraid that since the vertigo was so severe last bout, it might warrant having to treat it somehow, and that scares me....as does doing nothing.
Also, he found a 10% loss in my left ear over the right in hearing tones and such, but when it came to discriminating speech and such, I had 98% in the R and only 72% success in the L. He looked at the ear and behind it, etc and says that there is nothing wrong with the ear itself. He concludes that there is something going on with the way the nerves are firing or the way the brain is interpreting the sounds??
Are my symptoms classic? And, will my "hearing" ever return? I'm too young for this.
If it turns out to be this, should I insist on treatment or wait? I'm worried about things getting worse and having to live another 40 years with progressive loss and vertigo.
Thank you for your time and for anwering questions from yet another person wanting to "diagnose themselves" or freaking out over the possibility of having this. I know you probably get it frequently. thanks.
DebbieDoo
