Re: Hearing gone

Steve, as I said in post 13, do you wear ear protection when you are mowing "most of the day" as you said earlier? I just wondered, if it was a very noisy mower used for hours on end, you may not be able to hear just how much racket it was making, and continuing noise does damage.
Just a thought, and hope its continuing to improve for you.

Re: Hearing gone

Yes, I do on the big ride-on mower but with my aids still on and turned to T because I can pick up the engine note.

It is awkward though so the walk-along mower I don't do that because it's less noisy and further away.

The main reason my hearing was damaged was industrial noise working in heavy industry, mainly in the 70s but right through to the mid 80s, before anyone really enforced protective equipment; back then it was a hard hat and gloves only. stevmk2

Re: Hearing gone

I'm off work today as usual but I'm still very concerned about this infection, assuming that's what it is.

I went to the Doctor's to ask about the swab result but it's not in yet - they said Wednesday or Thursday so I'm still not sure.

The underwater effect is very noticeable in the morning and the constant popping with the aid in my left ear is so annoying.

The level of hearing too I'm experiencing is still low too - about the same as the right ear, which was 5% they told me, but the left was 10% and that's a big difference in terms of understanding what's going on around me.

I've also noticed that I have gained several new tinnitus noises in both ears now - just what I needed!

I don't believe in a God per se - I have my own beliefs - but there are times when I do wonder what I did to deserve all this.

Oh well, got spuds to plant today and our usual walk in about 30 mins - always calms me right down that does!

Have a nice day if you can. stevmk2

Re: Hearing gone

Hubby planted our spuds today too. Put some in bags too to see how they do. Potato manure has really increased in price. £15.75 for 6 Kg. then there is the cost of the compost for the bags..expensive business. Husband is going to the Nurse to check out his tubes for his hearing aids. It's now almost 1 yr since I went to see the ENT specialist about my deafness. Still waiting for an appointment to discuss my options. Gone are the days of 'follow up' you have to do all the follow up yourself.

Re: Hearing gone

Very true Chris.

If they try to fob your husband off over the tubing tell him be firm.
At my local Audiology some seem to think that it's their job to keep the NHS's costs down with things like this because they cost a lot more but we are entitled to this and we don't ask for much considering we've paid into the system for 30, 40 or more years!

Support is something we just don't get unless we kick up a fuss Chris and I'm doing far more kicking now because I'm really struggling! stevmk2

Re: Hearing gone

Latest update.

Last night we had friends round for dinner and I couldn't really cope well as the constant popping in my left ear is so distracting so it's lip-reading more than hearing.

The hearing in my left ear is slightly better so, if this is all due to an infection, then it's pretty virulent and persistent.

Three times daily I've been putting the antibiotics in since Tuesday-last so that's 5 days now and the improvement is minimal in terms of my hearing.

I'm hoping that by leaving my aid out all day today that it might improve better rather than having cotton wool in that ear as I was advised in the pharmacy. stevmk2

Re: Hearing gone

Its an idea not to put anything into the ear at present .....

Re: Hearing gone

Still getting the strange popping in my left ear - very irritating it is too.

It's like what you get in aircraft when they descend suddenly but it's doing it a lot, usually after I've had the aid in for about 90 minutes.

I've now got an appointment to see the Consultant Audiologist for Cochlear Implants on June the 5th at my local hospital.

I've been told before that this is more than likely to be a formality only because I'm one of the very few people locally still working with this level of hearing loss.

Considering they kept me waiting long enough for Digital Aids a few years back I'm not holding my breath.

However, the device itself costs approximately £18,000, and the total cost of assessment, device, surgery and postoperative care for a year in the NHS is approximately £40,000 so they're going to be very thorough before they commit! stevmk2

Re: Hearing gone

I really hope it doesn't comedown to cost Steve, hearing is precious and priceless IMO

Re: Hearing gone

Steve you have my sympathy but I do find it difficult to equate your health problems with your support of UKIP as Nigel Farage has told UKIP supporters on camera that the state-funded NHS should move towards an insurance-based system run by private companies. Something that must surely be worse for you than the current situation?