How is your hearing?

[sue943]

For the past couple of years I have been straining to hear some people speaking and have to ask them to repeat what they have said. Also, the tinnitus I have had for years has got worse.

This morning I went to the drop-in centre at a local hospital to have a hearing test and they found my hearing slightly impaired, enough to say I need referring by my GP to an audiologist for a formal hearing test with a view to having hearing aids.

I have looked on the internet and it looks possible that all those antibiotics which I had to have for my endocarditis could have had an effect on my hearing as could diurectics. Also the quinine I take for cramp could make my tinnitus worse. I might try dropping the quinine to see if it helps.

Have any of you suffered a degree of hearing loss associated with your cardiac problems?

I think the hearing aids will be free so if they don't help or if I don't like them I won't have spent any money on them.

 

[Ross]

Anesthesia can also have an effect. I don't know Sue, I think my hearing loss is more from blasting the stereo for years before I finally grew up some. I've had terrible tinnitis in my left ear ever since surgery.

 

[Wise]

What did you say?

 

[Cooker]

blasting the stereo for years before I finally grew up some.

YOU GREW UP?!?!?!?! When did thay happen????!!! Damn dude, who am I going to play with now ???????????

Sue, I have noticed my hearing is getting a bit worse but I'm with Ross. I think the rock n roll is to blame. I have the ringing all the time and I am sure that does not help matters. Good luck.

Tom

 

[Bina]

Cooker....looks like you will play with yourself

Actually post OHS I have ultra sensitive hearing, and lots of ringing in the ears when I lie down.

 

[Harrybaby666]

I lost some of my left ear hearing....

I lost some of my left ear hearing....

Due to a ruptured ear drum brought on by allergies and then sinuses and then busted ear drum....and voila!!...you too can go through the hassles of saying "What the h@#! did you say? Harrybaby

 

[sue943]

I dropped the quinine last night and will speak to my GP about dropping the loop diurectic and see if that helps. Nothing I read said anything about it being reversable though.

My daughter is hearing impaired, and pregnant, so she needed to know if it could be genetic. There is no 'abnormal' hearing loss in my family, that I am aware of, other than her and I swear hers was to do with mumps and measles when she was three as until then her hearing was very acute.

I should like to be able to convince her that my hearing loss is artificially induced to stop her worrying. If some of you are experiencing some loss too then that might help her.

 

[Cooker]

Cooker....looks like you will play with yourself

AGAIN!!!!

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Hearing loss definitely runs in my family, although it is related to old age. Fortunately, we have a very healthy set of genes and almost everyone lives well past 80.

When I was pregnant with both of my children, I worried constantly that something would be wrong with my babies. Once they were born, I worried constantly that they would find out that something was wrong with my babies. As they've grown older and they are healthy kids, I worry constantly that some illness or accident will affect them. I think this is part of a mother's job. Hearing loss is really a minimal problem compared to so many other things that could go wrong.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Oh...and my husband has some hearing loss and tinnitus. He has always assumed that it was caused by working in an aluminum factory when he was a young adult and then working around airplanes and jets since he was 30. However, he did take a lot of antibiotics when he was younger for asthma and bronchitis, enough to stain his teeth, and it's interesting to think that this could be linked.

 

[John & Joann]

There is a relationship between LARGE doses of antibiotics and hearing loss. This is documented in several research projects. Joann requires 2 bags of antibiotics prior to dentist appointments. She also developed significant hearing loss.

Cleveland Clinic mandates that she have the antibiotics since she will always be classified as very high risk for infections.

 

[sue943]

Well I certainly had masses of antibiotics when I had endocarditis, intravenous six times a day. I suffered some renal impairment when on gentamicin even though I was only one that for about three weeks, the benzylpenicillin was for about six weeks. No one suggested it might affect my hearing. Mind you, the cardiologist I was under for the second part of my illness, after I had been airlifted to England, said that if my kidneys couldn't take it then it might mean dialysis for a short time which was far better than more cardiac damage - but it didn't get that far.

 

[hensylee]

it must run in families. My grandfather, my father, my cousins, me. Children tell me to get a hearing aid. They are so expensive.

give up the quinine, Sue. It makes your hearing go away and you have loud ringing. On the package I believe it tells you that. Well maybe not - what I bought years ago was over the counter and maybe these days it's a prescription product. When my dr said quinine for cramps, I just said no.

I have tinnitus 24/7.

 

[sue943]

I have just returned from my appointment with an audiologist and am now sporting two rather dinky little hearing aids. She underlined gentamicin on my form that I had filled in.

Our health system gives us behind the ear hearing aids for free (Siemens) but if we want the inside the ear type we have to pay for them elsewhere. I think I will see how I get on with these before thinking of spending good money on some.

Wow, this keyboard is SO noisy!

 

[gadgetman]

and lots of ringing in the ears when I lie down.

W'd somebody git th' dang phone!!

Bubba

 

[Marguerite53]

Sue. Now you get to choose whether or not you actually WANT to hear what's going on!! Selective hearing....

I stopped taking my quinine for leg cramps and noticed a significant reduction in ringing in the ears. I also noticed my heart palpitations subsided enough to go off the beta blocker........ what d'ya know! Should have read the quinine label a long time ago.

In the meantime, of course, the leg cramps came back. For those I have found that stretching gently in the evenings (leg stretches for the ham string and calve muscles) helps greatly. ALSO, just recently, my husband dragged out this cool little wooden roller that you put on the carpet and just roll your foot over. It is shaped like a spiral and made of hardwood. It is great for breaking down the crystals (?) in your feet and getting the circulation going better. Let me know if you don't know what i'm talking abuot and I'll find you an online photo.

Take care! Enjoy the sounds!!

Marguerite

 

[barbwil]

scary drug??

scary drug??

"The only drug that has been shown to be effective in treating night-time leg cramps is quinine, but the Food and Drug Administration stopped over-the-counter marketing of this remedy because of concerns about irregular heart beats and other side effects. Doctors may still prescribe quinine pills for relief of leg cramps, but they can cause birth defects and miscarriages, so they should never be taken by a pregnant woman. Quinine can also cause ringing in the ears, headache, nausea, disturbed vision, chest pain, asthma and other problems"

I remember taking quinine years ago until they stopped selling it over the counter, couldn't remember exactly why it was stopped until I did a google and the first thing that came up was an ad from a law firm asking if you had been damaged by quinine (they would be happy to represent you in court!)

 

[sue943]

I had the ringing in the ears way before I started taking quinine. I stopped taking it a few weeks ago but the cramps were horrid so I am taking it again. My doctor prescribes it for me.