ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: Nicole222 on June 17, 2008, 07:09:17 pm
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I lost 60% of my hearing literally overnight in Dec of 2006. I woke up one morning and went to use my hands-free attachment on my cell phone and thought it was broken--full of static. So, I went right out and bought another--that one was broken, too :D. It took me a while to put it in the other ear ::) Anyway, I had static and ringing for a while, but that went away.
I was just curious about other's experiences--if it was a gradual thing, or sudden, like mine.
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I think mine was sudden also. I noticed the ringing and hearing loss about the same time.. Very quickly afterward I went to my primary with a sinus infection. Over the last year or so I noticed that my allergies were worse and I got several sinus infections. The ringing and hearing loss were pretty sudden, though. My primary told me that it might be the current sinus infection but that if the ringing and hearing loss didn't clear up with the sinus infection, for me to self-refer to an ENT. After that visit, it was determined that my symptoms were not sinus related and he orderd blood and an MRI. Between the two his feeling was that all possibilities would be eliminated. I had the MRI and the next day he called me, and the next day I was scheduled to see one of the surgeons. The following Tuesday I was scheduled to see the other. Needless to say things were moving FAST so far as medical things do. About a month later I was at surgery. It moved FAST! But, the size and location of my AN dictated that they move fast, and they did. It was afterwards that seems to drag. ;)
I know, more than you wanted to know. Heh.
Brian aka Pooter...
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Nicole222,
Mine was very gradual I didn't even know that I was losing my hearing. It was the fullness in my ear that bothered me.
eve
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My hearing loss was sudden. One day I was sitting in my office at work and I realized that I couldn't hear well out of my left ear. The diminished hearing was confirmed to me when I answered the phone and held it to my left ear like I normally did. Although I had good word recognition, the words were very muffled. In addition, I had a fullness in my ear - like the feeling you get when you're in an airplane before your ears "pop".
Jan
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Medium gradual. :)
It started about a year before diagnosis, with a routine hearing check at work, where the guy said "you have some mid range loss in your left ear, might want to check that out," and I did nothing about it. :( Six months later, the airplane ear plugged thing started up, and I noticed I couldn't hear too well, and started the sinus sprays. I got my nose really well cleaned out, but my ear stayed plugged and my hearing got weaker. Finally a real audiogram led an ENT to order an MRI.
Steve
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My hearing loss was progressive (in steps). I would get sudden attacks of fullness, tinnitus and decreased hearing (simultaneously). Thankfully, that hasn't happened in about 4 years. I attribute my good luck to an improved diet, but who knows? I've heard from doctors that the effects and tumor size are not necessarily related and that symptoms don't usually progress linearly (having a smooth trend).
Best wishes,
Tumbleweed
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Sudden. I woke up one Sunday morning and had muffled hearing in my right ear, a short stay on prednisone and my hearing returned to 100%, but a day later the MRI showed my AN.
Joe
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Hi Nicole,
My hearing loss on the AN side was sudden. I noticed it over a weekend in 1980. And it was accompanied by crackling sounds on the AN side, which I noticed most often the shower. It was not a complete loss, but rather a sudden drop in perception of the higher frequencies. The ENT misdiagnosed it as hearing loss from exposure to loud sounds. The ENT even told me that the hearing loss was not sudden, that I just noticed it-- which I knew was not the case! I'm actually glad the AN diagnosis was missed at that time. I may have been tempted to treat it then when AN treatment outcomes where more risky than today's treatments.
Regards,
Rob
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Nicole~
I think mine was gradual - I was young and busy, but I think it just happened as the tumor grew. Other things I can look back at & say, "Oh, now I know why that was happening..." but not really with the hearing. I was teaching 1st grade for the 1st time when I noticed it and thought that it was just their sweet little voices. I had them do me when they did the kids for the vision & hearing check - poor parent volunteer - I never heard a sound!! My whole class was sitting watching me on the carpet & I was just trying to be a good example - little did I know that the parent was frantic behind me!!
LOL!!
K
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This is a good question. When I was first diagnosed with AN it was by accident. Actually the hearing in my AN ear was better than in the non-AN ear. And, the hearing I had was considered within normal limits for my age. I had just lost a little but not anything they could attribute to the AN since it was basically the normal hearing ear. So W&W since 12/2005. About a year ago I started noticing that I needed the TV turned up a little louder at times. I was the one who always had the controler so I could up and down the volumn as needed. My family sometimes got mad at me for going up and down. About six months ago I really started to notice a change in my hearing. I started having problems with word recognition, couldn't understand some people at all especially if my back was turned or I was a certain distance away, I changed the phone ear to my non-AN ear, and the TV was up louder than ever before. Bothersome to say the least, but my hearing is considered serviceable according to the hearing test. So, I can say that my hearing has gradually gotten worse. I wonder about the accuracy of those hearing tests. Anyone here feel the same way? I mean after awhile you just remember the words they ask you. Why don't they use different words when they do the word recognition? Nancy
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My experience was almost identical to Ms. Nancy Drew although I'd say my loss occured more like over a year and a half. Other than everything Nancy experienced, I thought voices on the phone sounded a little metalic-like. Very weird and hard to explain. Sort of like trying to explain tinnitus to someone. My AN was also discovered by accident after a hearing test indicated that I had a high freq loss on the AN side. The ENT almost did not send me for an MRI. He said "...it is probably nothing but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't send you for an MRI."
So I guess my loss was slow to moderately slow over about 1 to 1 1/2 years.
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Nicole:
My hearing loss was very gradual. I can't state exactly when it began, but I would guess around five years prior to my diagnosis. I know that it was effectively gone within two years of my diagnosis. I mistakenly attributed the hearing loss to the fact that I was a radio broadcaster for 25 years and wore tight-fitting earphones (generally quite loud) for many hours a day over more than two decades. The fact that I was only deaf in one ear seemed odd but I saw no reason to pursue it with a doctor. O.K. I freely admit that was dumb but I think it was partially the result of my never having any health problems my entire adult life and so, not realizing that anything could ever go wrong with my body. Ha!
The only positive to the gradual hearing loss was that by the time I was diagnosed (May, 2006) and subsequently had the surgery (June, 2006)I had totally adjusted to my SSD and wasn't disappointed or upset when that didn't change after my operation and later radiation. Basically, I had no hearing to lose so preserving it was never an issue. I did have the 'retrosigmoid approach' surgery but that was my neurosurgeon's choice and had more to do with his having better access to the tumor than preserving my non-existent hearing in my left ear.
After reading the posts that preceded mine, I can see that losing hearing due to an Acoustic Neuroma varies with each patient. This is why we so often caution 'newbies' that every AN patient is different and no two cases are ever exactly alike in every way. This thread pretty much proves it. Thanks for asking the question.
Jim
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Well, as usual, I like to be different -
I guess I'd call mine sudden. I had absolutely normal hearing until that fateful day in February of last year when I was wheeled into the OR. Went in hearing - came out with nothing. Well, on the right, anyway.
I don't think it gets more sudden than that.
Lori
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Mine was somewhat gradual. I would talk on my phone and yell and ask people to speak up never thinking that I was losing my hearing. Finally I tried to listen to my daughters IPOD and couldn't hear anything that is when I went back to my pain Dr a few days later and told him my situation and he scheduled an MRI within a few days and I learned I had a brain tumor which had to be removed within the month. SO THANK GOD I listened to my daughter's IPOD that day in May....
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Jeez TP. You had a big one sitting in your ear--4cm+ WOW. I feel sort of guilty when I compain about my little one. I remember one day driving in my car thinking the speaker on the left side (my AN ear) was bad. I could hear the one on the right. Thought maybe my son had blown out the speaker since he had done it on the other car. Then when we got a new car I thought the speaker was also bad even though the car was brand new and my son hadn't ever driven it. Anyway finally figured out it wasn't the speaker when I put my right ear to it, and also touched it and felt the vibration. I notice often that I plug up one ear and then the other with my finger to compare hearing. Sometimes I get all mixed up because I think the AN ear goes in and out sometimes. Also initially the AN ear had better hearing than the non-AN ear. This whole experience is weird. I hate that it will always be a part of all of us who have ANs. Nancy
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Mine was sudden. I noticed the tinnitus before the hearing loss. I'm left handed so when I'm on the phone, it was always on my left ear. One day at work, I had to call an 800 number that was a recording like, "If you know your party's extension, please press 3." I thought the volume was low on the phone. I had to call back the next day. When the volume was still low, I thought I'd try the right ear for the heck of it. Volume was much better...
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My hearing loss was gradual too. The first symptom was having difficulty hearing people on the phone on my AN side. My parents took me to an ENT, he ran a hearing test and told my parents that "I was lying" about not hearing! Of course, my parents got a second opinion, but the second opinion Dr. said that I had "virus", so nothing was done, but prescribing some meds. Can't remember the exact details because it was over 40 years ago. Finally, when I had another hearing test, of course I couldn't hear a thing on that side. The next symptoms were headaches, seeing spots, dizzyness and finally I was correctly diagnosed with the acoustic neuroma. Actually the first doctor that saw it was the Opthamologist. I was losing peripheral vision on the AN side and he actually saw the tumor through my eye. I had surgery to remove the tumor within 2 weeks of that diagnosis. The doctors said that it may have growing in my head since I was 6 years old. They don't really know - so much about these tumors were unknown at that time.
Jan D
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Jan,
OMG. That must have been terrible having a doctor say you were lying. I am so sorry for all you went through. I hope you are doing OK now. My heart goes out to you.
Nancy
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Jan D -
Wow! That is amazing! I can't believe your eye doctor actually saw the tumor through your eye! I hope all those other doctors who misdiagnosed you felt bad after that! So, you've been dealing with all these things for a long time. I guess after a year of the eye and face issues I have no right to complain. Puts things in perspective.
And welcome - by the way. Let's hope the others don't confuse you with that "other" Jan. She's trouble! ;)
Lori
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Sudden on both sides. On the AN side I woke up one morning to tinnitus. I had been flying on a business trip with a terrible cold in an unpreasurized plane the day before. I noticed the tinnitus at first. I thought it was the noise that was blocking my hearing. I didn't realize that the hearing had also gone -- for the most part. Over the past 23 years the rest of my hearing loss on the AN was gradual. On my "good" there had been somewhat of a loss -- then all of a sudden a major loss -- like from 95% hearing to about 50%. I couldn't survive without a hearing aid. As I mention in my post, it's sort of quiet around here -- with the exception of my incredibly loud neighbors.
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My hearing loss came on gradually, I also had tinnitus for a very long time.
I guess I just adapted to it all, until my coworkers got tired of me saying 'what' & speaking louder & louder.
Then I went for a hearing test with about 80% hearing loss, got an MRI, etc., etc.....
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Lori...I also had "sudden" hearing loss as the result of surgery. I went in with 100% hearing discrimintation and came out deaf. No surprise since I had a translab.
I had noted some changes in my hearing. Music over the telephone sounded different in each ear. It went from being about a half step different, to eventually sounding like they were playing two different songs with the same words. My hearing scores were great with only a mild SNHL on the right.
I continued to use my AN ear to talk on the telephone up until surgery. I still find myself holding the phone to my right ear and saying hello multiple times before I realize I'm the one who is not all there ;)
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Sometimes I feel like I have Morris Code going on in my ear. As stupid as this might sound, sometimes with all of the ringing and dinging in the ear it is like changing channels of the TV and tuning into something new. No offense to those who have lost their hearing. I can't imagine not having any hearing at all. Hopefully I'll get to keep some. Nancy Drew
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I didn't notice any hearing loss until I dialing a number on my cell phone and put the phone up to my ear. I couldn't hear anything but a muffling sound. I thought the phone was not working but I put it up to my right ear. And there was clear sound. I made an appointment with an ENT and she sent me for an MRI which showed the Acoustic Neuroma.
Leading up to my hearing loss I had several ear and sinus infections. Also, the last couple years flying was a nightmare because of the pressure and pain afterwards. I also was becoming what I thought was clumsy.
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And welcome - by the way. Let's hope the others don't confuse you with that "other" Jan. She's trouble! ;)
Geez, Lori -
do you realize that 5 people posted after you did and not one of them defended me? :o Maybe it's time to ditch the forum and take that high paid position at the garage. And all this time I thought I was being helpful to others :'( LOL
Jan D -
I've always heard that eye doctors could see brain tumors by looking into a patient's eyes, but never quite believed it. Guess you are living proof of that.
It's amazing to me that you had your AN treated over 40 years ago. You are a true AN pioneer. Thanks for joining the forum; I'm sure you have a lot of experiences to share that none of us have had.
In order to avoid confusion, fellow forumites, you can either call me Jan B, the droll Jan, BAHA Benjamin, Tattoo Jan, or Jan the troublemaker - your pick ;)
And BTW, Lori - thanks for the vote of confidence :D
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The young lady I met who had a 4+ cm AN was discovered at a routine eye exam. She had no other symptoms, except she started drooling out of the an side one day.
And unbelievably, my eye doctor saw what she called a "freckle" back there about 5 years ago. She seemed a bit concerned, took a picture of it, and told me to follow up in a year. Obviously, I never did so. I have "kicked" myself over that countless times. :-[
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I wonder about the accuracy of those hearing tests. Anyone here feel the same way?
The problem I have with the audiograms (hearing tests) is that the noise floor of every place you get tested (and their equipment settings) are different. For the sake of consistency (valid results), I try to get tested in the same place and by the same audiologist each time. But another bigger problem is that the cables are so microphonic that they pick up my breathing sounds and the sound of the cables lightly brushing against my shirt when I breathe. If it weren't for those noises, I might be able to hear tones and spoken words that are lower in level than the microphonic noises that mask them.
The condition of your ear canals and eardrums also can cause fluctuating and invalid results. I flew in a small plane just a couple hours before my last audiogram (a mistake) and was a little plugged up from the changes in barometric pressure. That makes my last test results a bit suspect.
Tumbleweed
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Mine was gradual. I first noticed I couldn't hear on the phone or through headphones. When I was tired it seemed like eveyone was talking a different language. I could hear them talking but the words didn't make sense.
I went to the doctor because I thought I had a wax build up in my ear that was causing problems with my hearing. The doctor checked and said he didn't see anything wrong. He thought it was just "old age" and I should just live with it. I made an appointment with an ENT and gave up after waiting 2 hours in the waiting room. Last year we moved to Kansas City and I decided to try again. I wasn't prepared for the diagnosis. I thought I just needed hearing aids. That's the nice thing about a big city, they have doctors who know what they're doing!
Rosalie
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Jan~
I like LEPER!!!
K
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oHIo -
I'm 16 months post op- and still put the phone up to my deaf ear and say "Hello?" a few times before I realize there's nothing wrong with the phone! Old habits die hard.
Jan, I'm so surprised that no one would have defended you... perhaps I was right??? ;D
Lori
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I have had a gradual hearing loss for the past 18 years or so. Now, they tell me that my tumor could not have been growing that long (as it is only 7mm, but now that we know it was an adipose neuroma, who knows?). I chalked it up to a noisy work environment - when a certain centrifuge was running, it would feel like someone was poking me in the ear with a stick. Then, in sequence, I had 3 babies who all screamed in my left ear because I am right handed. I was only diagnosed now because I got tired of being SSD in professional situations, and hoped that they had come out with a better hearing aid lately.
Tam
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Tam,
Did you have your surgery yet? Your sig says 6/12. If so, I hope everything went ok. Please let us know how everything went if you had the surgery. Nancy
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Nancy -
not sure Tamara is still logged in, but this link might help http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=6596.msg67179#msg67179
Jan
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Thanks Jan,
I get lost on the threads here so thanks for the update on Tam. Glad you are hanging in there and hopefully you are being treated like a princess. This is such a great place for support. I am becoming more comfortable as I write and learn more about all of you. Nice that you take time to check up on us newbies although I am getting quite a few stars above my name!
Nancy
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My initial hearing loss was sort of sudden, with a very gradual continuation.
Let me explain:
I went from a 30% hearing losss in 1974 to 100% hearing loss in 1979.
I remember in the spring of 1974 wondering if someone was turning the volume up and down on the tv, but I could see that nobody was doing that. That samne week as I drove around town, with the windows down, I could hear a lot of wind, so I would roll up the wondow, but still heard this. I also began to hear sounds in my head when I would lie down in bed at night, when the house was quiet. These sounds reminded me of wind blowing, but it went from high to low very quickly, like someone turning the volume up and down quickly on a tv or radio.
I had just been to the airport to see someone off and stood close to jet that week and I had also just seen Elvis Presley in concert, sitting close to the stage and the music was loud. So I figured I must have had some nerve damage from one or both of these loud sounds.
I went to different doctors for the next 5 or 6 years and they all said it was nerve damage, but could not tell me why. It was not until 2001 that an MRI revealed the acoustic neuroma.
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That samne week as I drove around town, with the windows down, I could hear a lot of wind, so I would roll up the wondow, but still heard this. I also began to hear sounds in my head when I would lie down in bed at night, when the house was quiet. These sounds reminded me of wind blowing, but it went from high to low very quickly, like someone turning the volume up and down quickly on a tv or radio.
This sounds a little like the pulsatile tinnitus I sometimes get. In my case, I hear "rushing water" or "ocean surf" pulsing in time with my heart rate. If I hold my finger on a blood vessel in my neck to time my pulse, I can tell the pulsatile tinnitus surges in volume with the same exact timing as my pulse rate.
No doctor I've talked to says they know what causes this. But I've read somewhere on the Internet (can't remember where) that this may be due to the tumor pressing against an artery next to the hearing nerve, inside the internal auditory canal. The theory is that the hearing nerve picks up the sound of blood rushing through the blood vessel.
Tumbleweed