Otosclerosis

[bluewanderlust]

Hi there

Well I have awful tinnitus at the moment and after seeing no fewer than 3 consultants this week I am finally getting somewhere. It would seem I may have otosclerosis which affects how your ear actually works. I am also pregnant at the moment and sadly it can make the condition worse and may result in complete deafness over the coming months. I have waited all my life to be pregnant after ivf treatment so it is a really shame that it should be the happiest time, with a cloud over me. I can only hope I have some hearing at the end of this. Any advice will be welcome thanks

[Hidden]

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

Tinnitus is common in pregnancy with hormone changes and after till your body and hormones get back to normal.

If it gets to bad I would ask to be seen by audiology as White Noise Generators could help a little.

Keep relaxing sound on around you.

Love glynis x

[bluewanderlust in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much Glynis. This all started with a chemical burn and perforated eardrum. I am now 10 months down the line and Otosclerosis has been diagnosed as well. I listed to Brown noise all the time which seems to suit me better than white and pink noise. Thanks for all your advice it is really appreciated xx

[Alex03111978]

Hi, first of all you have to be tranquil, as much as you can, because your son feels your mood. Mostly It is not clear the reason of a hearing loss and when it happens your perception of tinnitus is at the highest level. I don't know how long have you suffered from that condition. Normally after the first impact it gets better and your tinnitus too, because you are less sensitive to it. This is what happened to me. Let us know the developments of your condition. Wait some days and If doesn't change ask another doctor.

On the Internet I found the following articles (I report just some lines):

...The possibility of therapy of that sudden deafness in pregnant women is restricted by reason of unknown cause of disease. It has been hypothesized that hearing loss may be associated with increased activation of both blood coagulation and fibrinolysis ('hypercoagulable state') which occurs during normal pregnancy...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/160...

...Even the level of circulating hormones estrogen and progesterone could initiate or worsen tinnitus especially during menopause. ... Some evidence suggests that artificial progestognes (such as those found in HRT) in order to insure regular cyclical bleeding can cause an exacerbation of the tinnitus...

tinnitusformula.com/library...

The I am sorry for you. My best wishes for your son

[NicBTA Partner]

Firstly - congratulations on being pregnant! It does seem a little unfair that on top of all the other changes to your body, the change in blood flow and hormonal changes do seem to exacerbate or trigger tinnitus - the good news is that this goes once the baby is here.

Otosclerosis is also treatable - there's a surgical procedure that can be done, probably not right now, but in time, and this has a good success rate - you can read more about it here: tinnitus.org.uk/otosclerosis

[bluewanderlust in reply to NicBTA]

Thanks so much I am trying to count my blessings and am over the moon about baby. I have been to see a hearing centre today and it looks like I can trial a hearing aid to see if it helps in the meantime. I never thought I would be so excited about having a hearing aid, how your goal posts change!

[Angela-H]

Hi bluewanderlust, many congratulations that you are pregnant and my best wishes to you. Re the hearing aid, I was initially horrified that I would have to wear one but I do believe that my hearing aid for slight hearing loss is the main reason why my T has quietened. Now, I often forget that I am wearing it and wouldn't be without it.

Angela xx

[bluewanderlust in reply to Angela-H]

Hi Angela

Thanks so much. Do you know what I am hoping I have the same experience with the hearing aid. I think that when you suffer from tinnitus everything goes out of the window to try and find something that will help put it in the background. I am having it fitted next Monday and am truly excited!!xx

[Angela-H in reply to bluewanderlust]

Hi again bluewanderlust, the hearing aid didn't take away the tinnitus straight away for me, though it can for some folk. I think it was 3 months before the hearing aid began to lessen my tinnitus and it has got better since then - provided I remember the rules of keeping my ears warm and using ear plugs in potentially aggravating situations!

Angela xx