Well I wish my first post was better. I am looking for any advise or help. A week ago today I did three dives at 55' well within deco limits. I usually have a hard time clearing. This day with a double dose of sutaphed?? and afrin spray I had no problems. The next morning I woke up with severe dizzyness,A ringing hiss in my left ear and obvious left ear hearing loss. I have read many posts to my surprise that this is a very common inj. I went to an ent who told me this is probably permanent nerve damage. He says I have lost 70to 90% of my hearing in my left ear. He says my diving days are over. I have an mri scheduled in a couble days. He prescribed prednisone and an antibiotic. My question is, Is this the end of diving for me, will the vertigo & tinnitis go away? will I regain any hearing ? It has been a week now with not much improvement. Has anyone had this happen with any encouraging words of advise. Where should I go from here. I am a Fireman, This could be a career ending inj for me. I am out of work until further notice. surgery,hearing aids? any advise...
HELP....unfortunate new guy.
- Thread starter djfirelt
- Start date
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AmyJ
Contributor
Gosh... sorry, welcome to the board and wish it was under different circumstances. This probably needs to be moved over to a different thread to get the right responses, but I'm sure that someone will have some constructive things to say!! I really hope you can get this worked out!
Sometimes this happens to me as well but only when I go head first on a fast decent to about 30-37meters, I dont have problems clearing . My hearing will be almost next to nothing in one ear and it rings and im dizzy also but it lasts about a week or so and it gets better and then it returns to normal one day. I went and seen the doc and he said i am getting water trapped in my ear and the ringing was due to problem there. as far as the dizziness it is related to you body senses being all jacked up. My suggestion and I'm not a doctor is follow what he recommends but get another opinion from a doc that is knowlegable in diving as well as an ENT.
maybe im lucky or this is more common then its talked about but none the less that was how it was descibed to me (well in my words)by the doc. so I would not give up and just settle for that doc's opinion
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!
maybe im lucky or this is more common then its talked about but none the less that was how it was descibed to me (well in my words)by the doc. so I would not give up and just settle for that doc's opinion
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!
I'm not a doctor and I don't stay at Holiday Inns, so my advice is worth exactly what you're paying for it, but...
I'm sure, like all responsible divers, you're a member of Divers Alert Network. Give them a call - they can answer some of your questions and point you to physicians in your area that can offer some advice and maybe treatment.
This may apply: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=18
I'm sure, like all responsible divers, you're a member of Divers Alert Network. Give them a call - they can answer some of your questions and point you to physicians in your area that can offer some advice and maybe treatment.
This may apply: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=18
crpntr133
lost, even with a compass
Even if you aren't a memeber of DAN it might be worth doing so and seeing what they have to say as well as who they suggest that you go to, especially if you want to dive. I was lucky to have found a ENT doc that was a diver without DAN. Without him I would have been high and dry.
Sounds like you might have fluid in the inner ear and that is causing the ringing. I have had it in the past and with meds it does go away but I'm not a doc.
Sounds like you might have fluid in the inner ear and that is causing the ringing. I have had it in the past and with meds it does go away but I'm not a doc.
AmyJ
Contributor
Well, this was originally posted in the introductions, but It has been moved to diving medicine, where it might get more medical oriented responses, which is what he seems be asking for.Wildcard:
djfirelt:
One of my daughters had something similar to what you are describing although I don't recall that she reported any vertigo and she was not a diver. Just out of the clear blue she had some noise and ringing in her ear and then lost her hearing in that ear. She had all kinds of medical exams by a couple of ENT's who concluded that she had substantial hearing loss for no known reason but possibly due to nerve damage. Later it was explained to me that upon occassion, during an autopsy, damage is found on the auditory nerve with no explanation. There is speculation that the damage was caused by the body trying to fight off a bacterial or viral infection. Possibly this is what happened to you unless the doc's can find an injury that can be related to the diving.
hey, really sorry this happened, im sure our resident Doc will hae some good advice for you, welcome to the board though!
It's unforunate you dived with medication, best of luck.
SF
It's unforunate you dived with medication, best of luck.
SF
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