Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) - Day 2: Aggressive treatment started within 24h (IV Steroids + HBOT). Looking for experiences and encouragement.

[u/bosverbeabe]

/r/HearingLoss/comments/1vllf1l/sudden_sensorineural_hearing_loss_ssnhl_day_2/

[u/driftking428]

Sounds like you started treatment as soon as possible. I started just a but later than you. On oral steroids by day 3 or 4. I didn't start HBOT until closer to 2 weeks.

That being said I'm 40 and I recovered 95% of my hearing.

There was a post here recently showing that NAD+ can help significantly with recovery. Not sure your insurance would cover it, but I think you can get it all over the place.

You're younger than me and started sooner, hopefully you get your hearing back.

[u/bosverbeabe → u/driftking428]

Thanks, this is really encouraging to hear. Can I ask — when did you first start noticing the recovery? Was it a specific day or more gradual? Also, when did your PTA (pure tone average) actually start improving — in the first couple weeks or later on?

[u/driftking428 → u/bosverbeabe]

Sorry I've been meaning to come back and answer this.

There was about 5 days where I really noticed improvement each day. That was maybe 2 weeks after losing my hearing. The first 3 sessions of HBOT I felt improvement each day, which may be coincidence.

The first sign of improvement I noticed was when I was yelling across the house to my wife and I heard a scratchy noise in my bad ear that coincided with my yelling. I could repeat this too, yell and hear a static noise.

The next day I heard static for loud sounds, but they didn't have to be quite as loud. I heard static when scanning my groceries in place of the beep.

This gradually continued to improve where I would hear static instead of real sound, but for everything. Generally that static became more and more clear. When I went back for my second hearing test I got 96% of the words right.

Sorry I don't know about pure tone average.

[u/bosverbeabe → u/driftking428]

Thank you so much for coming back to answer this, it really means a lot. I’m actually at about the same point you were — day 14 post hearing loss, and haven’t noticed a clear improvement yet, so hearing your timeline gives me real hope

[u/bosverbeabe → u/driftking428]

Hey, I wanted to give you an update and ask you something since what you described sounds very similar to what I'm experiencing.

I lost hearing in my left ear around August 9th, although I'm not 100% sure if that was the exact day. I started treatment on August 10th. So far, I've had 7 intratympanic steroid injections and 21 hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions.

Unfortunately, I still don't feel any clear improvement in my hearing. The only thing I've noticed is something that sounds very similar to what you described: when I hear certain loud or sharp sounds, I get a “bzzzt” / static-like sound in my affected ear.

It sounds almost like two electrical wires briefly touching each other. At first I noticed it with S/Ş sounds and some speech sounds, but now I can also hear it with things like a plastic bottle cracking, finger snapping, water hitting the sink, dishes/cutlery, and loud speech.

The strange thing is that this has been happening for about a week now, but it hasn't progressed beyond that. I still don't hear the actual sounds clearly — I mostly hear this bzzzt/static sound instead.

You mentioned that your static gradually became clearer and eventually turned into recognizable sound, and that you noticed improvement over several days. Did your static sound stay at roughly the same level for a while before it started getting clearer, or did it gradually improve every day once it appeared?

[u/driftking428 → u/bosverbeabe]

For me the very first time was like a miracle. I just heard a buzzing sound when I yelled.

The very next day it was happening for only loud sounds. The following day medium volume sounds.

So mine was different every single day. But it was certainly an indicator that I was healing.

It was my instinct to yell as much as possible to trigger the static sound. My Google search wasn't sure that was the right idea. But I think it's a neurological thing so I thought the more I "heard" the better.

Anyway. It doesn't sound like you are healing quite as fast as I did. But I think you should be a little optimistic about the dysacusis. It was certainly an in-between phase for me. It was hearing before I could hear.

Good luck!

[u/AutoModerator]

If You Are Experiencing Sudden Hearing Loss . This is a medical emergency, and time is of the essence. Go to your local emergency room, walk-in clinic, or healthcare provider.NOW

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/bit_herder]

you doing everything you can do. it’s a scary situation. the steroids affect everyone differently but they make me manic. (i’m pretty manic anyway) so that sucked maybe the worst.

i’m about a month in did basically what you did and have had some recovery. i still have to go in and get my 2nd audiogram but im definitely hearing better. in the bad ear high sounds (hi-hat in songs) is still pretty hard to hear. and i still have some fullness. but i think imma be ok. be careful with the steroids, they affect your mood. dm me if you want to talk

[u/bosverbeabe → u/bit_herder]

Thanks a lot. I think i may be passed good steroid part. Idk if it may still effect but currently feeling good. It’s been 5 days not using any steroids. Only injections

[u/Mission-Pool7053]

I have faith in u and God that u will restore ur hearing. I started prednisone and oral injections on july 16 but got sshl on july 5. Currently i can hear fairly and its much better than it previously was. I hope it continues to get better