Hearing loss support - Firefighter Needs Help With Recent Hearing Loss in both Ears (please excuse length)

Author

Firefighter Needs Help With Recent Hearing Loss in both Ears (please excuse length)

Kenneth & Melanie

2005-06-01, 10:51 pm

I am a 44 male firefighter. I was in very good health until I had a viral
infection in February of this year. My family doctor diagnosed it as viral
meningitis, but did NO tests to confirm. I had fullness in both ears during
the illness along with swollen throat, extremely sore neck and almost
neglible fever. I continued to have the fullness and then extreme vertigo
soon after. I went to a local ENT who did an MRI that was basically normal.
He suggested ear tubes in both ears. I had ear tubes put in both ears
4-20-05. Immediately, I had chronic infection in both ears and lots of pus
that clogged tubes so bad that they had to be suctioned daily. The same day
of the tube surgery, I lost a great deal of upper frequency hearing in both
ears. The infection and daily suctioning continued for over two weeks and
the ENT who originally did the tubes, would NOT give my any antibiotics or
anti-inflammatory drugs. He said it might make things worse. I went to
another world renown ear clinic on my own and a CT scan showed mastoiditis
or infection in the mastoid bones on both sides of my head, behind the ears.
I was put in the hospital after another terrible week in pain and suffering
and without sleep for over a week. I was given Rocephin and Vancamycin by
IV for over 3 days. This entire time, even though I was also seen by an ER
doctor who said I was bulging with pus, I never have had a fever and my
blood work has always been normal. I was sent home on Levaquin and had a
bad reaction to it. Now I'm on nothing and seeing another ENT who had
gotten me appts. with neurologist that went absolutely nowhere and soon will
be seen by an infectious disease doctor. The infection in the ears is gone,
but an MRI supposedly shows that I'm still blocked on both sides behind the
ears. I have been extremely dizzy and nauseated and have a balance problem
I was sent to the neurologist because the new ENT thinks I may have some
type of viral infection that is lingering in my body. I'm now having eye
focus problems along with some memory problems. The neurologist says it is
an ear problem.... My question: has anybody had hearing loss after tube
placement and then have hearing come back later?? I still have the fullness
on both sides, but can pull out my ear lobes and seem to hear upper
frequencies better....I was told my hearing would change with tubes, but
should it change that much? Do you think I have any hope?? I've not been
able to work in over a month and see no hope for anything in the near
future.

Thanks,
Extremely discouraged fireman

Kenneth & Melanie

2005-06-04, 11:50 am

Update: I'm having other symptoms as well that seem to get worse daily but
I'm seeing a new neurologist who's extremely thorough and trying to find the
problem.
Thank-you

"Kenneth & Melanie" <kyarbrough@charter.net> wrote in message
news:DEune.72$mZ2.67@fe07.lga...
>I am a 44 male firefighter. I was in very good health until I had a viral
>infection in February of this year. My family doctor diagnosed it as viral
>meningitis, but did NO tests to confirm. I had fullness in both ears
>during the illness along with swollen throat, extremely sore neck and
>almost neglible fever. I continued to have the fullness and then extreme
>vertigo soon after. I went to a local ENT who did an MRI that was
>basically normal. He suggested ear tubes in both ears. I had ear tubes put
>in both ears 4-20-05. Immediately, I had chronic infection in both ears
>and lots of pus that clogged tubes so bad that they had to be suctioned
>daily. The same day of the tube surgery, I lost a great deal of upper
>frequency hearing in both ears. The infection and daily suctioning
>continued for over two weeks and the ENT who originally did the tubes,
>would NOT give my any antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs. He said it
>might make things worse. I went to another world renown ear clinic on my
>own and a CT scan showed mastoiditis or infection in the mastoid bones on
>both sides of my head, behind the ears. I was put in the hospital after
>another terrible week in pain and suffering and without sleep for over a
>week. I was given Rocephin and Vancamycin by IV for over 3 days. This
>entire time, even though I was also seen by an ER doctor who said I was
>bulging with pus, I never have had a fever and my blood work has always
>been normal. I was sent home on Levaquin and had a bad reaction to it.
>Now I'm on nothing and seeing another ENT who had gotten me appts. with
>neurologist that went absolutely nowhere and soon will be seen by an
>infectious disease doctor. The infection in the ears is gone, but an MRI
>supposedly shows that I'm still blocked on both sides behind the ears. I
>have been extremely dizzy and nauseated and have a balance problem I was
>sent to the neurologist because the new ENT thinks I may have some type of
>viral infection that is lingering in my body. I'm now having eye focus
>problems along with some memory problems. The neurologist says it is an
>ear problem.... My question: has anybody had hearing loss after tube
>placement and then have hearing come back later?? I still have the
>fullness on both sides, but can pull out my ear lobes and seem to hear
>upper frequencies better....I was told my hearing would change with tubes,
>but should it change that much? Do you think I have any hope?? I've not
>been able to work in over a month and see no hope for anything in the near
>future.
>
> Thanks,
> Extremely discouraged fireman
>

Paul Knudsen

2005-06-08, 8:52 am

On Sat, 4 Jun 2005 09:51:32 -0500, "Kenneth & Melanie"
<kyarbrough@charter.net> wrote:

>Update: I'm having other symptoms as well that seem to get worse daily but
>I'm seeing a new neurologist who's extremely thorough and trying to find the
>problem.
>Thank-you

Good luck man. Hope you get cured.
--
Top 10 Conservative Idiots:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/

pellmellwillynilly@hotmail.com

2005-06-08, 10:54 pm

Kenneth-

I have no personal experience with tubes or the kinds of infection
you've had, but I do know that recovery takes place in the oddest, most
hopeless and most unpredictable situations. Specifically in the area of
hearing recovery, I've known two people in the past year with bad ear
infections (both causing balance problems) who eventually regained
balance and hearing.

Plan for the worst but don't be surprised if things get better for you.
I'll be praying.

Pell

Kenneth & Melanie

2005-06-09, 10:55 pm

Thank-you so much for the encouraging words. I'm scheduled to have
mastoidectomy next Tues. if the Lord wills. The doctor will only do one
side at a time. I'm having vision and memory problems along with the
hearing and balance troubles and hope the surgery will fix it.
Thanks again,
Kenneth Yarbrough

<pellmellwillynilly@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1118285472.855500.156420@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Kenneth-
>
> I have no personal experience with tubes or the kinds of infection
> you've had, but I do know that recovery takes place in the oddest, most
> hopeless and most unpredictable situations. Specifically in the area of
> hearing recovery, I've known two people in the past year with bad ear
> infections (both causing balance problems) who eventually regained
> balance and hearing.
>
> Plan for the worst but don't be surprised if things get better for you.
> I'll be praying.
>
> Pell
>