I had a case of sudden hearing loss in one ear three months ago which was initially treated as an infection and only after 14 days did I start prednisone. Fortunately most of my hearing returned but I have been left with tinnitus and often a sense of numbness on the left side of my face. I have seen an ontologist, but he hasn't any idea what the numbness is about. Even worse, my ears pop in and out everytime I swallow often leaving me with a muffled sound until I pop them again. If anyone has a similar experience I would be grateful for what was done to offset the popping or numbness problem. If you know of a specialist in the NYC area, I would also be grateful for the reference.