Have you had intermittent hearing loss?
Have you had intermittent hearing loss?
Intermittent – or fluctuating – hearing loss can be experienced in one or both ears, be mild or severe, and come and go with no discernible pattern. If you experience this kind of hearing loss it can be very frightening, so what’s going on?
One of the most common explanations is impacted earwax blocking the eardrum and your hearing.
This can be easily sorted out with earwax removal with us at The Hearing Clinic.
Another common cause is due to a cold, allergy or infection blocking your eustachian tube which regulates the pressure in your inner ear. Again, once the infection resolves so should the hearing problem.
While it’s less common, fluctuating hearing loss can be the result of Meniere’s disease, an autoimmune disorder of the inner ear which can also cause tinnitus and dizziness. If you’re experiencing these symptoms please see your GP right away.
Another cause of intermittent hearing loss can be otosclerosis. This is a rare form of hearing loss – thought to affect about three in 1,000 people – which occurs due to abnormal bone growth in your middle ear. In the early stages, the hearing loss may come and go.
Rebecca Willmont, from West London, developed otosclerosis when she was pregnant with her son Harry when a couple of the tiny bones in her ear hardened and fused together, causing her hearing to deteriorate. It’s not yet understood why the condition can be triggered in pregnancy.
Back in February, Rebecca underwent surgery at Northwick Park Hospital in north-west London and is now able to hear two-year-old Harry properly.
During the procedure, Rebecca’s fused bones were separated using a laser and the stapes – the smallest bone in the human body – was removed and replaced with a prosthesis. This meant the small bones in the ear could vibrate again and transmit sound to the inner ear. Two weeks after the operation, Rebecca’s hearing was back to normal.
If your hearing comes and goes please speak to us at The Hearing Clinic.
