Sudden sensory neural hearing loss

[BryanW]

This happened to me two years ago, on the last day of a week-long holiday in Egypt. I ducked slightly under the surface to photograph some squid, and because they were so shallow I didn't bother to equalise. I couldn't have been more than about six feet down, and felt no discomfort in my ears at all, but when I came up I had very muffled hearing in both ears and tinnitus in the left. The muffling in the right ear turned out to be only wax, thankfully (though why it chose that moment to block up, I've no idea) but I've never recovered full hearing in my left ear, though it did improve in the first couple of weeks and the tinnitus subsided somewhat. After checks and MRI, the audiologist said it was damage to the nerve (from a post above, it seems more likely to be the round window leakage, but he didn't mention that).

Even though the "dive" was so shallow, I probably had given my ears some abuse in the previous few days and this straw broke the camel's back. I have freedived since, but whereas in the past I might have stuck with eardrum pain for a few seconds in the hope of "catching up", I now turn back at the first sign of discomfort.

It might also not be coincidence that the day in question was the only day that week when I was not wearing Doc's Pro-Plugs.

Oddly, I did several dives on the way back to the shore after the squid incident, because I couldn't resist photographing a free-swimming moray, and the equalising was actually much easier than it had been all week. Has anyone any explanation for that?

 

[Simos]

This happened to me two years ago, on the last day of a week-long holiday in Egypt. I ducked slightly under the surface to photograph some squid, and because they were so shallow I didn't bother to equalise. I couldn't have been more than about six feet down, and felt no discomfort in my ears at all, but when I came up I had very muffled hearing in both ears and tinnitus in the left. The muffling in the right ear turned out to be only wax, thankfully (though why it chose that moment to block up, I've no idea) but I've never recovered full hearing in my left ear, though it did improve in the first couple of weeks and the tinnitus subsided somewhat. After checks and MRI, the audiologist said it was damage to the nerve (from a post above, it seems more likely to be the round window leakage, but he didn't mention that).

Even though the "dive" was so shallow, I probably had given my ears some abuse in the previous few days and this straw broke the camel's back. I have freedived since, but whereas in the past I might have stuck with eardrum pain for a few seconds in the hope of "catching up", I now turn back at the first sign of discomfort.

It might also not be coincidence that the day in question was the only day that week when I was not wearing Doc's Pro-Plugs.

Oddly, I did several dives on the way back to the shore after the squid incident, because I couldn't resist photographing a free-swimming moray, and the equalising was actually much easier than it had been all week. Has anyone any explanation for that?

No idea - depends what exactly happened, usually it should have been harder I think but maybe your e-tubes filled in with fluid or something and you didn't need to equalise? Just a guess, not even sure if it's possible...or maybe due to some swelling...

 

[lenatic]

Hi Gabi, sorry to hear about your situation. I have a friend freediver who had multiple cases of ruptured ear drum and was very concerned about her situation. She went to the House Ear Institute in California and they were able to help her a lot with all kinds of advice. I see that you live in Australia but you should definitely e-mail them and see what they say. I hope this helps.
House Research Institute Contact Us

 

[czauner]

Hi Gaby.

I lost my hearing on one side 6 years ago - so maybe I can give you some hints. My loss was for sure not diving related in any way. I just got up one morning and heard nothing. For the suggested rupture of the cochlea: Maybe no - if you've leaked the fluid you will also have lost
the the banlance-sense on this side, resulting in enourmous swindle (lasts for about 3 months, until your Brain adapts). Same for nerve-damage to the brain (which is the likely reason for my condition). For the nerve: It may be, that only the audio-part was damaged - but you have some chances that the nerve will recover along the working remnants (which is not the case when the whole nerve died).
So audimetry is only one part; there are other methods for diagnosis (the put some funny glases on you face and turn you/your head/... and check the eye-movement - as this is connected with your balance / turning sense). Audiometry should also have been performed by checking the 'hearing ability' via the skull (speaker on the bone right behind the ear) - as this checks the inner ear, leaving eardrums and stuff aside).

A second opinion is no fault; If you head for one try not to emphasise the diving - thing too much (as some docs tend to be biased if they know that). Generly speaking I learned that diagnosis there is very hard and not easy - cause many parts of the ear are not easily accessible, hidden behind the skull. Be prepared to never really know about the reason.

Anyway - if you don't give the TInitus to much attention, It stops bothering you (as you become used to it). I also started to listening to my tinitus when doing statics. If you don't recover (which you will likely not if you condition lasts for more than 3 to 4 months) the
really annoing thing is that it It hinders relaxed diving (with only one working ear left), as well as it sucks when It comes to filling out the medical statement.
One sometimes gets used to hear only on one side; Its only a problem in noisy environments as it its increasingly difficult to listen to someone. It might also be a problem if you plan to become a pilot or an astronaut.

All the best
Clemens.