Dizziness and sudden hearing loss, after the third recurrence, left hearing impairment, review of treatment at Dain ENT Clinic

Over the past four years, I would like to share my experience with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, including my treatment process, current situation, and advice on sudden hearing loss. As I try to write this, I realize that the past journey was truly difficult. It might be lengthy, but I hope that my long-term experience with sudden hearing loss can be of some help to those of you who are 고민하는 (worried or concerned).

 

I remember that the initial onset was in February 2020. It was probably when COVID-19 first started to spread in our country, and festivals or events with large crowds began to be canceled. One day, I received a call at the office.

I received a call with my left ear. Suddenly, the sound was like a mechanical distortion. Thinking "What is this?", I went about my evening without much thought. While taking a shower, my left ear felt blocked, similar to when climbing a high mountain, and even after waking up, it remained blocked, making me think there was a problem with my ear. I searched the internet and used an app to perform a hearing test, which showed poor results in the high-frequency range. I immediately went to a well-known local hospital nearby for a hearing test. After the test, the doctor said it seemed like sudden sensorineural hearing loss and advised me to visit a university hospital or a larger hospital, providing a referral. At that time, a coworker at my office was on medical leave for about three months due to Meniere's disease with sudden hearing loss, so I asked him about the hospital where he was treated and decided to go there. That hospital was Da-In ENT Clinic. Honestly, I believed that once hearing is damaged, it doesn't improve, so I thought it was best to get treatment at a major hospital early on. I researched and asked many questions on Naver's tinnitus cafe for several days, but I learned that treatment methods don't differ much between university hospitals and specialized ENT clinics, and that early treatment is better. Therefore, I decided to start treatment at Bupyeong Da-In ENT Clinic, a specialized ENT hospital, rather than a university hospital, and I went there immediately to begin treatment. The doctor in charge was Dr. Kyu-Rin Hwang, and my coworker also received treatment from her and recovered.

 

I underwent a detailed hearing test during my initial visit and was told that my high-frequency hearing is around 60 to 70 decibels. The other frequency ranges are normal. Usually, severe cases hear only about 10 to 30 decibels. The doctor said that this was an initial sudden sensorineural hearing loss and that since I came quickly, it could be treated with medication, and there was no need for tympanic membrane injections. Therefore, for the first week, I was prescribed 12 steroids, a nerve stabilizer, and a diuretic, and I started taking them. Most people treated for sudden hearing loss received similar prescriptions, with only the number of steroid pills differing. At first, I was scared, but there is no dramatic recovery in hearing... I also didn't feel it was gradually getting better... Even after a week of medication, my symptoms remained almost the same, and I was prescribed to reduce the steroids to 6 pills... then to 3 pills... and then to 1 pill. By the second week, the sensation of fullness had greatly decreased, and by the third week, the mechanical distortion sounds had mostly disappeared. Although I didn't fully recover my normal hearing before, the doctor said I had recovered a lot, so the treatment was concluded. Honestly, I could have continued treatment, but it was difficult to take regular leave from work, and I was worried about others noticing. Also, I spent 2-3 hours early in the morning driving and registering, which was very exhausting... (For reference, this hospital is well-known for sudden hearing loss, tinnitus, and Meniere's disease, so if you don't go early in the morning, same-day or afternoon appointments might be difficult. Additionally, there are about two parking lots, but they are often full early in the morning, so many people arrive early and wait for parking.)

I now regret that after I recovered, I should have managed my health more thoroughly, but I used the excuse of working to drink and smoke a lot, and I didn't follow a low-salt diet at all...

[Extracted from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal]

 

The second recurrence was around May 2021, and at that time, while taking a shower, I again felt a fullness (a feeling of congestion) in my left ear. I hoped it wouldn't happen again, but even after waking up, the same symptoms persisted. I visited Dain In Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic again, and this time I was diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and took medication again. The doctor said that recurrence might make recovery a bit more difficult, but since I recovered last time, there was hope I could recover again. However, after taking medication for three weeks, there was no improvement, so I received an eardrum injection this time. Initially, the eardrum injection did not show a clear improvement, but around the fourth session, the machine-modulated sounds significantly decreased, and after six sessions, the treatment was completed. Even then, I did not fully recover; my hearing was only slightly impaired. From that point on, I started to take better care of my health, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and switching to a low-salt diet. While maintaining these health habits, I experienced a third recurrence. T_T

 

The third recurrence was around early March 2022, and once again, I felt a fullness (stuffiness) in my left ear while taking a shower. At that time, I wondered what I was supposed to do and felt very angry... Every time I went, I spent 6 to 7 hours, and I visited every three days for eardrum injection treatment, which was exhausting both physically and mentally. It was very discouraging. When I visited the hospital, I found out that Dr. Kyu-rin Hwang, who was in charge, had opened her own clinic, and another doctor was now handling my treatment. From the beginning, I received eardrum injection therapy, and every visit included a detailed examination. I hoped for improvement and wanted to hear well, but I was constantly disappointed because I couldn't hear properly. I went through this difficult process every three days. However, even after 12 sessions of eardrum injections, my hearing did not recover. The doctor said that since eardrum injections involve high-dose steroids, it would be difficult to continue, and he told me to continue treatment with physical therapy if I wanted. I asked the doctor how likely it was to improve with this treatment. The doctor responded somewhat skeptically, saying there was a possibility of improvement, but more likely that I wouldn't recover. I heard that once hearing worsens, it doesn't get better no matter what. I was filled with sadness, took some sick leave for a few days, and spent sleepless nights staring at the ceiling. Looking at these struggles, I decided to stay strong and take care of my health, feeling grateful that it didn't get worse. Fortunately, even after two years, my condition hasn't deteriorated further. Currently, I hear about 50-60 decibels in the high-frequency range. To put it simply, I can't hear the "beep" sound when measuring my temperature with a thermometer in my left ear. Still, it doesn't interfere much with daily life, and I live without major inconvenience. Instead, I sit on the left side when listening to important conversations or talking with someone, so I can hear clearly from the right side without any issues. There are some minor inconveniences like this. I consider the tinnitus a lifelong friend and try not to worry about it. Haha.

 

If I may offer a little advice to those experiencing sudden hearing loss for the first time, hoping it will be helpful.

 

First. Alcohol has a significant impact. Abstinence is the best, but for those who find it difficult to abstain, they should at least limit their alcohol intake.

 

Second. You must quit smoking.

 

Third. You must avoid caffeine. Caffeine can make tinnitus worse. ㅜ.ㅜ

 

Fourth. You need to follow a low-salt diet. I also find a low-salt diet difficult, so I try to eat it twice as often as I eat it once.

 

 

 

 

 

The most important things among these are alcohol restriction and a low-salt diet. A low-salt diet is really difficult, but I haven't eaten ramen for about three years. The initial period is tough, but after a month of a low-salt diet, those with slightly sensitive livers can't eat salty foods anymore. A low-salt diet is not a no-salt diet. You can season with salt, but it means to reduce it as much as possible. I don't eat ramen, but if you want to, you can eat ramen as long as you don't drink the broth. I have fought sudden hearing loss for the past four years, so I have experienced a lot, which is why I am writing this. I hope no one experiences sudden hearing loss, and if you do, I hope you manage it well so it doesn't recur, and I wish everyone a full recovery^^. Stay strong, everyone, and I hope a world without sudden hearing loss comes.

 

P.S. Just so you know, even if sudden sensorineural hearing loss worsens, there is such a thing as cochlear implant surgery, so don't despair!!

 

[Excerpt from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal]