Hearing loss after diving: help needed/anything else that can be done?

[Imla]

Could this be completely unrelated to the diving?
There is a condition known as suddden deafness that presents itself just as you describe.
Hearing Loss Assosiation of America describes it like this:

Sudden Deafness - Hearing Loss Association of America

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), commonly known as sudden deafness, occurs as an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing—usually in one ear—either at once or over several days. It should be considered a medical emergency. Anyone who experiences SSHL should visit a doctor immediately...

www.hearingloss.org

The slightly odd thing, is that there is actually a multi center study in Norway on the treatment of sudden deafness in hyperbaric chambers. (You might want to Google Translate this one, its in Norwegian)

SuDHO: Plutselig uforklarlig hørselstap og trykkammerbehandling

Formålet er å undersøke om tilleggsbehandling i trykkammer (hyperbar oksygenbehandling) gir bedre hørsel til pasienter som opplever plutselig uforklarlig hørseltap (sudden deafness) enn dagens standardbehandling gjør.

helse-bergen.no

 

[scubaguy532]

Could this be completely unrelated to the diving?
There is a condition known as suddden deafness that presents itself just as you describe.
Hearing Loss Assosiation of America describes it like this:

Sudden Deafness - Hearing Loss Association of America

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), commonly known as sudden deafness, occurs as an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing—usually in one ear—either at once or over several days. It should be considered a medical emergency. Anyone who experiences SSHL should visit a doctor immediately...

www.hearingloss.org

The slightly odd thing, is that there is actually a multi center study in Norway on the treatment of sudden deafness in hyperbaric chambers. (You might want to Google Translate this one, its in Norwegian)

SuDHO: Plutselig uforklarlig hørselstap og trykkammerbehandling

Formålet er å undersøke om tilleggsbehandling i trykkammer (hyperbar oksygenbehandling) gir bedre hørsel til pasienter som opplever plutselig uforklarlig hørseltap (sudden deafness) enn dagens standardbehandling gjør.

helse-bergen.no

Well yes but it has to be related to the diving in some way - it began as soon as I ascended from the first dive. It's possible it is just sudden hearing loss and that something in the equalization process triggered it though...

 

[Imla]

Well yes but it has to be related to the diving in some way - it began as soon as I ascended from the first dive. It's possible it is just sudden hearing loss and that something in the equalization process triggered it though...

While it is likely... it doesn't have to... coincidence doesn't necessarily imply corrolation. It could have happened if you were on land... (However, it might be likely that diving had a cause in it)
I just find it weird that it began when you got out, and you were fine under water, and for it to be unilateral like this. Quite a zebra you got going there.
However, your doc seems to have put you on the recommended treatment for it, so hopefully it will resolve itself.

 

[scubaguy532]

I should note that this dive/incident happened less than a week after getting back from Colorado. Doesn't seem possible but I wonder if one of the spaces in my inner ear never quite equalized to the lower altitude at sea level and contributed to the sudden hearing loss. Not even sure if that's a thing.

 

[Puppeteer]

I've had something similar where I lost most hearing in 1 ear during a flight (a couple of weeks after my last dive). My doctor checked and the ear drum in that ear wasn't moving during equalization, though I could feel it inside. He put me on steroids as well, and best guess was that I've got some congestion in the inner ear from equalizing during diving.
That was over a month ago now.

Hearing came back and I dove, and a couple of days later, the symptoms came back, and faded again, and returned after some free diving a week or so later. I didn't have any trouble equalizing that I remember.

I haven't dived since then and the hearing in that ear seems to come and go. I'm going to go back for a follow up, and am wondering if my Eustachian tube has become constricted or something.

I rely on my ears for music production and am really wanting to get back in the water. It's frustrating.

One other thing I noticed is that when I am on CPAP (I have OSA, though it is well managed with CPAP and splint), I seem to wake up more often with the blocked ear feeling/hearing loss, which seems to clear throughout the day. I get it less when I wear the splint, though still get it occasionally.

 

[chaspope]

scubaguy, last summer I had vertigo during normal snorkeling to 5m, followed 2 days later by complete, down to 0, hearing loss in one ear. I found this weird so be careful while your brain is trying to rewire.
I saw multi doctors, took multi meds, oxychamber. My hearing recovered but with treble loss, no HiFi, kind of AM radio.
So hope yours comes back completely - keep us posted. Finally I am not a medical doctor, but definitely do barochamber sooner rather than later if you can

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

scubaguy, last summer I had vertigo during normal snorkeling to 5m, followed 2 days later by complete, down to 0, hearing loss in one ear. I found this weird so be careful while your brain is trying to rewire.
I saw multi doctors, took multi meds, oxychamber. My hearing recovered but with treble loss, no HiFi, kind of AM radio.
So hope yours comes back completely - keep us posted. Finally I am not a medical doctor, but definitely do barochamber sooner rather than later if you can

Hyperbaric treatment would only be indicated in the OP if this was inner ear decompression sickness and I don't think his care team is certain of the diagnosis. It's contraindicated in inner ear barotrauma because of the risk for further damage. I'm surprised that you would have been treated in the chamber for your symptoms - had you done any compressed-gas diving before you went snorkeling?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[chaspope]

Hyperbaric treatment would only be indicated in the OP if this was inner ear decompression sickness and I don't think his care team is certain of the diagnosis. It's contraindicated in inner ear barotrauma because of the risk for further damage. I'm surprised that you would have been treated in the chamber for your symptoms - had you done any compressed-gas diving before you went snorkeling?

Best regards,
DDM

Hi DDM, no I did not scuba before snorkeling. But yes there was confusion, even DCS (at 5m?) or stroke was suggested and some of the ENTs I saw spoke against barochamber at first. But maybe because I had no lasting vertigo/fluid - in the end barochamber was ok. So I did 12 x 1h oxygen sessions at 10m and it must have helped. I was told I have 'neuropraxia', caused by doing multi medium-force Valsalvas with no pain whatsoever. I am also a scuba diver and although I have no prob equalizing it looks like I do have to blow harder than other folks for it to work. Now I am considering balloon dilation to reduce the risk of this problem happening again, any thoughts on that?

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi DDM, no I did not scuba before snorkeling. But yes there was confusion, even DCS (at 5m?) or stroke was suggested and some of the ENTs I saw spoke against barochamber at first. But maybe because I had no lasting vertigo/fluid - in the end barochamber was ok. So I did 12 x 1h oxygen sessions at 10m and it must have helped. I was told I have 'neuropraxia', caused by doing multi medium-force Valsalvas with no pain whatsoever. I am also a scuba diver and although I have no prob equalizing it looks like I do have to blow harder than other folks for it to work. Now I am considering balloon dilation to reduce the risk of this problem happening again, any thoughts on that?

Thanks for the details. DCS from snorkeling to 5 meters is so unlikely as to approach impossible. Given that information, it seems likely that you suffered from non-fistulating inner ear barotrauma. Neuropraxia is not an accurate description of that, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is contraindicated because of the risk for further injury with pressurization. I'm glad things turned out the way they did for you. It's unlikely that hyperbaric oxygen had anything to do with your good outcome.

Under no circumstances should you force a Valsalva maneuver. That is probably what led to your initial injury. A consult with an ENT to discuss options would be a good idea - balloon dilation is one of those options.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[DanBMW]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking on these forums for a while but this is my first time posting. About 10 days ago I went on 2 boat dives. The first dive I descended to about 80 ft and felt slight pressure as I was on my way down. Not wanting to force anything, I took my time and was eventually able to equalize to the bottom. Immediately after the first dive I noticed fullness and muffled hearing in my right ear. I brushed it off as water trapped in my ear from the hood I was wearing. The second dive was uneventful with no issues equalizing.

A few days later I still had almost *complete* hearing loss in my right ear along with ringing/tinnitus. I called DAN and they assured me it is most likely middle ear barotrauma and will resolve itself with time. I then saw my ENT who gave me a different diagnosis: no fluid trapped in my middle ear as a sign of barotrauma, but instead sensorineural hearing loss as a result of nerve damage in the inner ear. This was not what I was expecting to hear, especially as the pressure I felt on the first descent was not significant enough to concern me. It also surprised me because I never had any dizziness or vertigo which are both listed as main symptoms of trauma to the inner ear/cochlea. Looking back, however, I probably did not equalize early and often enough on that first descent.

Nevertheless, he prescribed me a full dose of oral steroids which I am currently taking and advised that if the hearing does not come back, I should not dive again to avoid risking hearing loss in my other ear. This was obviously a total gut punch to hear and I'm trying not to get depressed about it.

I am seeing another ENT/neurotologist on Friday who is well versed in diving knowledge. I am not sure he will tell me anything different but I am praying there is a path forward both in terms of restoring my hearing in my right ear and being able to dive again. I have read some reports of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a solution to this issue (Sudden hearing loss causes scare for diver) as well as another poster who experienced a similar issue and got their hearing back after the steroids (Question - Full ear/hearing loss but can equalize fine?). The ENT I saw said that oxygen therapy is a type of fringe medicine used mainly for DCS and would not help in my case.

Has anyone else experienced/heard of complete hearing loss in one ear after diving and know any other possible solutions? From what I have seen/read it is very rare to have a complete loss of hearing, rather than partial hearing loss associated with barotrauma. The thought of never diving again is one that I could barely fathom to imagine and I'm praying there will be a positive outcome to this situation. Thanks.

I don't have a solution for you but maybe something simular happened to me. Diving in Grand Cayman in the early 80's, after a dive to about 80 feel, I surfaced with a feeling on cotton stuffed in my left ear. Sounds were muffled. Once I was home, a few days later, I saw an ENT specialist who said I probably experienced a baratrama and that the stuffy ear symptoms should gradually diminish. They did, over time and I was left with tinnitus in my left ear. I'm now wearing hearing aids and the tinnitus is not as bad as it was before the hearing aids. I kept diving and still do very regularly.