Altitude in Mountains cure hearing loss?
Posted , 3 users are following.
I'm a 28 year old classical pianist. I have had tinnitus and hyperacusis for about 7 years due to overexposure to loud music. Recently my tinnitus accentuated after minor physical ear trauma. I funneled the same pitch as my tinnitus in to my ear with a sound clip in order to try and break the feedback loop in my ears. It worked, but my left ear that has the hyperacusis vibrated something crazy. At the end of the 30 min session, I felt like I left a rock concert and my hearing not adjust to hearing like normal.
For the next month to a month in a half, my hearing went from drastic hyperacusis, everything hurt my ears, to feeling like I was underwater to the complete lack of hyperacusis that I had experienced for years. I was accepting that I killed off the dying hair cells that were causing the hyperacusis in the first place, when I took a trip to Appalachia.
I was on the phone while driving up the mountains, and next thing I know, it's like someone turned the volume up. I checked the volume, no change. I realized that the pressure in my ears had dissipated, and I could hear more properly again. I am still not 100 percent where I was before this incident started, but it is much more tolerable now. Could it be that I had that much swelling in my ears from the frequency trauma? I had been taking diphenhydramine daily hoping for signs of swelling with minimal results; though sometimes when I would tilt my head, it was like I could feel the bubbles of a water bottle being turned upside down slowly moving in my head. If I go back down the mountains, will it come back? Should I stay a couple of weeks? What's the deal here?
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for any advice you might have. I'll never take quality hearing for granted again. I couldn't hear the gravel under my feet at the height of this incident.
0 likes, 9 replies
peter19321 humptydumpty111
Posted
Interesting - I have many of the same issues with my hearing, feeling underwater and pitch issues between left and right side. I am a low brass musician who finds playing difficult because of this pitch issue. I have hearing aids since my sudden loss of hearing last May, but they don't help with the pitch issue. I have the same feeling of fluid moving and wonder if a trip to the mountains would effect me in the same way. Thanks for your post.
humptydumpty111 peter19321
Posted
My best guess is that it helped with pressure from swelling. I thought there might be swelling for me when I clicked my Transmandibular Joint as much as possible, breathed concentrated hot air on that area in my mouth, made all sorts of contorting faces, and I got the slightest change in pressure in one ear. Your hearing shouldn't fluctuate at all between good and bad if you have dead hair cells. Possibly it could if somehow they are just barely living cells, and you get little shots of electric life in them as they refuse to die. I also had pain in my sinuses when everything initially happened. Hopefully we get some more comments on this and have some light shed. They say that "Feeling underwater" is a symptom of hearing loss, the absence of receptors create this sensation, this ailment is so specific to the individual, it's hard to say what is.
Something to consider in regards to altitude is that some people with hearing problems are actually accentuated by altitude. Some of the hearing afflicted are afraid to fly when they have specific issues. I wouldn't want to influence you to go up and up unless you were pretty sure you were okay to.
Being a musician with hearing loss is ironic and torturous. I would say a couple of things to you Peter: At least you are a low brass musician. The low frequency have the larger wavelengths, and the low pitch hearing goes away last in the spiral of hair cell reception. I know that it is difficult to blend with the orchestra or ensemble, and also listening to music can be both infuriating and saddening, but try to take some satisfaction in the fact that you should be able to hear your own instrument decently.
Also, I have been doing a lot of research on hearing restoration. Human intestinal tracts evidently replicate cells at rapid rates. Somehow scientists have taken intestinal stem cells and stimulated hair cell growth in the ears at high rates. All they will need to do is use a syringe in the ear canal. Human trials begin in 2018, within ten years of trials we should have a decent cure. For the first time in human history, as you age your hearing will get better rather than worse. Healthcare in the U.S. this generation is another issue regarding cost and availability, but if you have the money then, you will have the hearing.
Perhaps you can utilize this as a way to be closer to Beethoven as well. He is my source of perseverance.
Best of luck to you Peter.
peter19321 humptydumpty111
Posted
Thanks for the note. It is nice to hear from another musician. I really have a hard time listening to music due to pitch distortion. You are right, higher pitches are more difficult, voice, flute, violin - for some reason if I use headphones the pitch is better and I have an easier time hearing. I think it is because background noise is eliminated.
I had meniere's ten years ago and lost most of the hearing in my left side. Last spring, during a really tough week I caught a virus and lost the other side. Hearing aids work for spoken word but sure don't help with music. I used to direct a big band but hard to hear intonation. Thanks for letting me share - take care and best wishes.
pete
humptydumpty111 peter19321
Posted
I'm sorry about your condition Peter. I have had psychological episodes because of my ailment, and it sounds that yours is less manageable than mine. Can you describe your pitch distortion? You can't make out intonation properly?
Did the virus kill your hair cells? Would your condition improve with these specific scientific advances? As I have been grappling with my condition, hope for these advances in the foreseeable future have given me some solace.
I have considered furthering my education in percussion as my hearing has declined. I wouldn't be able to do brushes or ghost notes too well, but I imagine that drum set could be gratifying. What do you think for you?
I do write as well, but I'm simply not educated enough to scribe what is in my head without assistance from the instrument as Beethoven did. I suppose he also had to lose himself, lessen his tethers to reality in order to live in his own mind. This is emotionally profound, but an affect that I would never wish to endure for greatness.
Feel free to run anything by me, I'm glad to talk with a musician as well.
Take care, and I wish you well,
Humpty Dumpty
humptydumpty111 peter19321
Posted
P.S. I see that a symptom of Meniere's disease can be vertigo. I would consider that as well when thinking about altitude.
peter19321 humptydumpty111
Posted
Hello, I have had vertigo when my Meniere's was active. E.N.T. did something to help with the Meniere's which was helpful.
My my pitch issue is the right side hears about a 4th higher than the left. I have been trying to adjust and yesterday talked with the folks with Starky Hearing Aids to see if adjustments could be made. When I whistle I hear two pitches, so playing certain instruments is difficult. I have thought of the trap set as I have played some and perhaps this is something I should explore.
I just purchased headphones with mic's built in. They work a bit better than hearing aids for listening to music - I'm not sure why.....
Take care and good luck - it is nice visiting with another musician. A shot of penicillin would of helped our friend Beethoven. It is amazing to listen to his late works and think that he never heard them.
Pete
humptydumpty111 peter19321
Posted
Dang Man. At least you can whistle a harmony, right? Could come up with some interesting ideas with 4ths.
I'm sorry, I hope that the equipment helps you. Let me know if you would, I am interested to know if your methods work for you.
Take care
anne05078 humptydumpty111
Posted
So sorry to read you're suffering. I too suffer Tinnitus and have done for over 30 yrs.
Also many of us on the Forum suffer Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (blocked ears) from
a previous cold, to sinus issues and allergies.
Once you've got tinnitus I think you're stuck with it.
I'll have to google what hyperacusis is, as never hear of it.
Anne
humptydumpty111 anne05078
Posted
As for you Anne, I'm pretty sure a cure for tinnitus is being developed. Check this out.
Get your hands on this stuff if you can, 30 years is too long. I matched my pitch with the piano and frequency clips, it worked 5 minutes at a time for me, but my tinnitus is a pretty straight and sustained pitch, so it was easy to feed in to my ears. I have a G6 and intermittently slurred F#6 ringing in my ears; I hope that this helps you in some way.
-Humpty Dumpty
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