Fluctuating hearing - Please read to see if can help - Hearing Disorders Message Board

Scott B · 05-20-2004, 11:57 AM

I think I am going to go CRAZY before I can find out what is going wrong... I have sporadic hearing loss episodes. All of a sudden, it's as if someone puts there hand over one of my ears and my ear and I lose my ability to hear clearly. Then, hours or days later I will have the opposite happen - suddenly I can hear great. I have been to 2 separate ENT's. One put me on a low sodium diet. Other has tried Allegra-D thinking it was allergy related. It is very frustrating because each ENT (in the same group) keeps asserting that I have ringing and/or dizziness. I have neither. I don't have balance problems and I don't hear a ringing sound, etc. My hearing just comes/goes, and it is driving me CRAZY! It's as if my ears get clogged up with water or something. I am fortunate that I am able to see my family physician quickly and she denotes no ear wax, etc.

Any ideas on what is going on?

bitwizard · 05-21-2004, 08:39 AM

That sounds a lot like what I have. I will wake up in the mornings with my left (sometimes right, and sometimes both) ear clogged up. If I sit in a chair and put my head between my legs it will unclog, but only until I sit straight up and then it's clogsville all over again.

It doesn't happen every morning, though, and I can't find much of a pattern to it, although I think rainy days make it more likely and if I sleep too much (9-10 hours at night) it seems to be more likely then too.

Also, if I do a little exercise and get my heart rate going the ear(s) clogs in the same exact way. 50 jumping jacks is enough to bring on the clogging.

And, like you said, there's no ringing or dizziness. There isn't even any sinus pressure pain. It's just like a bunch of cotton, or water, is stuck between my eardrum and inner ear. Everything I say echos funny and it is hard to understand other people.

If anyone knows what the deal is I would greatly appreciate it. I'm a 24-year-old male and I have noticed this for about a year or two. All-around great health otherwise.

bitwizard · 05-21-2004, 09:19 AM

After looking around a bit I found a couple good sites that pretty much describe what I was feeling:

http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/oto/grand/71196.html
(scroll down to the part on PATULOUS EUSTACHIAN TUBE)

http://www.doctorhoffman.com/patul.htm

Hope it helps.

Scott B · 05-21-2004, 02:08 PM

Very interesting. Thanks for the response. I went back in today to see yet another ENT. Performed more tests, etc. This ENT disagrees with former ENT who disagreed with his practice partner (another ENT). Now, looks like Meiner's is questionable (my loss is on the high end not low). I am scheduled to go in for an MRI to see more about what is going on and to rule out tumors in the inner ear canal. Of interest is during this visit the ENT actually stated that I was persistent; therefore, something must be happening. Like I would be paying out the $, dieting, taking medicaitions, and spending an inordinate amount of time traveling back/forward to MDs.

It is very strange - I have no ringing, no dizziness, etc. Just minding my own business when all of a sudden I can hear EXTREMELY well, and then later it goes back to clogville. In fact, if it were in reverse - 90% time good hearing, 10% bad, I would be willing to just live with it. However, it is very depressing when you just get used to hearing really bad and then suddenly you are able to hear beyond your wildest dreams. Then 4 hours or 4 days or a week later all of a sudden your hearing just closes up again.

BTW - 3 other potential items that are next to follow up on are food-specific allergic reactions, TMJ (not sure how this is related to my condition but MD mentioned it), and MS (I have issues with low blood sugar and apparently this and hearing may be some minor indicators but the MRI should point this out along with any tumor-related issues).

Again, if anyone has any ideas at all, I am apprecaite to hear them.

AngelaA · 05-23-2004, 12:36 PM

Hey I have had the sudden hearing loss for anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hrs since I was a teenager. (35 now) My dad lost his hearing for 3 days and found out he had a virus that was in his ear. He was put on strong steriods and antibiotics and his hearing returned after a week. The downside is antibiotics are ototoxic and can cause hearing loss. I have had frequent earaches for years and no doctor ever found anything wrong. Last week I went on my own referral to an audiologist because I noticed I can't distinguish words in noisy settings like at parties or in stores. I told her about the sudden hearing loss which she had no explanation for. However she says I have lost some of my high frequency hearing and is recommending hearing aids!