It's amazing how much almost everyone doesn't know (including the Dr.'s) about SSHL or, "Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss". According to the board certified ENT I was treated by, this disorder has gone nuclear in the last four years or so.
It hit me around late Nov. of 2013. (three days before the Joe Bonnamossa concert at the Fox, Atl. $185.00 seats on the 19th row from the stage; sigh!)
My ENT Doc said he and his ENT partner had always seen about one case a year since they became Doc's. By 2013 when I saw him he had already seen 14 that year. I was 15. His partner had seen 16 that year. They were both already involved in a study to find out why. I participated.
No one knows why, including the Doctors.
If anyone has any new stats feel free to chime in but what I remember is, it hits 80% between age 50 to 70. 75% in the left ear, 1% both. It happens 90% of the time in the morning, or when you first wake up. 5% to really old folks, no eyebrows raised there, and 20% to the youngsters. Tha'd be Lexi.
It happens about 50/50 to males and females except those under 50 where its about 75% of that 20% group are female.
The worst part is the tinnitus. A high pitched electrical whine that on a volume scale of one to ten, is about a four. Loud. Constantly. For the rest of my life, they tell me.
I became a real musician (one who actually reads music) at age 8 an have been till 4 yrs. ago this past Jan. because of DDD (spine disease) as I could no longer stand on stage and perform. Turns out it didn't matter. I'll never hear stereo again. And they said I would get used to the tinnitus in about 1&1/2 to 2 years. Its been 2&1/2 now and it still bothers the HE!! out of me.
The point here is, if you have a job that requires you to hear really well, you should probably change positions or professions. And they tell me your hearing almost never comes back.
Oh yeah, and no one knows what causes SSHL.
