Tip for Hearing Fluctuations

[Guest guest]

As some of you may remember, I have suffered from Menieres for over 25 years,

which has caused complete deafness in my left ear and reduced hearing in my

right ear. For years, my " normal " hearing in my right ear has been down 40dB in

low-mid frequencies and 60 - 70 dB at higher frequencies, but I could do pretty

well with an ITE hearing aid.

Beginning in 2007, my hearing in my right ear began to fluctuate significantly,

often dropping to 80 dB across the board. I was forced to get a more powerful

BTE hearing aid, but hearing was still difficult and I could no longer enjoy

music. During the past three years, my hearing has fluctuated between these two

extremes, sometimes staying at one level or the other for 6 - 12 months at a

time.

In early March, my longtime ear doctor suggested I try taking Claritin, an

off-the-shelf antihistamine, for 60 days. Well, the results have been

remarkable. After 20 days, my hearing began to gradually improve and stabilize.

It has been 60 days now, and my hearing has improved to 40 - 50 dB, not quite

back to " normal " , but good enough that I can use my smaller hearing aid and once

again enjoy music.

The tentative conclusion: my hearing fluctuations are most likely caused by an

allergy, which has also affected my sinuses. Since there is a direct link

between sinuses and hearing functions, the improvement in hearing was also

accompanied by a reduction in my sinus congestion and post-nasal drip. My

doctor recommends that I continue to take Claritin indefinitely, as the down

side risks are minimal.

One footnote -- the doctor suggested that I may be allergic to my dog, a

wonderful chocolate Lab that I adopted shortly before the fluctuations started.

Thank goodness for the Claritin, as I would hate to have to choose between my

hearing and my best friend!

Eliot