otosclerosis - Hearing Disorders Message Board

D-Rob · 07-20-2004, 01:37 PM

How do you get a diagnosis for this? I have hearing problems but can never get a hearing test to show it. I always get normal results. I know there is a problem but can't figure out what it is. I've been to ENT's, audiologists, and even a neurologist. Who is the best doctor to diagnosis otosclerosis, and how exactly do they diagnose it without surgery. Also, I don't have the typical "hear better in loud environment". I don't hear very well under any conditions. Would this rule otosclerosis out? I can say that I'm in exactly the age group where it apparantly starts causing problems. Also, it has been gradually getting worse over the last couple of years and I can't see how its sensorineural because even without being exposed to loud noises my hearing continues to deteriorate. Zip, I'd like to hear from you especially because it seems you have a substantial knowledge of this disease.

zip2play · 07-23-2004, 06:47 AM

D-Rob, I am at your beck and call...

Otosclerosis SHOULD show up on a hearing test. It's major symtom is the loss of hearing in the lowest registers first. Unfortunately that's where human speech is.

So instead of a normal hearing curve that starts high and drops off with increasing frequency, an otosclerotic's curve startes low and goes higher before dropping off (sensoryneural). Oto is the loss of low frequency hearing because the bones that need to vibrate must go farther with low notes...and these bones are being slowly welded together!

Get a tuning fork or a music box (or an Accutron watch.) With oto, you'll hear it far louder when pressed to the bridge of your nose than when held near your ear. You're feeding the vibration directly to the inner ear via bone conduction through your cranium and bypassing the otosclerotic ear bones.

Unfortunately sensorineural and oto aren't mutually exclusive. Lot's of people have both but curing one is a GREAT way to start!

smileyguy · 08-15-2004, 09:45 PM

Hey D-Rob,

You are in luck... Having just recently been diagnosed with Otosclerosis in both ears I am very familiar with the process and continue to do research on it everyday.

Otosclerosis should be diagnosed with at least one (preferably two) hearing tests, including an audiogram and a tympanogram, performed by an audiologist. This should then be reviewed by and the diagnosis confirmed by an ENT who can discuss treatment options with you.

Unfortunately, based on a description of your symptoms, I am not so sure you have otosclerosis, but please get the tests and talk to a doctor.

For more information on otosclerosis and other hearing disorders, visit the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one the National Institutes of Health, at www.nidcd.nih.gov.

Biblophile · 08-16-2004, 03:22 PM

Maybe you could ask for an auditory brainstem response test. This is a test that indicates how much your brain hears, as opposed to taking the traditional auditremy tests which can be misleading, as it's hard to tell if the sound is something you actually HEARD or something you actually felt.