Could I have MD?
Posted , 5 users are following.
For a few years I've experienced small signs that seem like MD symptoms. Any random moment my hearing in one of my ears will fade out and block up with a loud ringing noise, head pain, and dizziness. It only lasts a few seconds to a minute at most untill my hearing returns, but it disorients me a bit and it's can be quite annoying.
I only recently looked up what was happening online. The whole time I believed that this ear fading thing was normal and happened to everyone. It wasn't until I mentioned it to a friend and she said it wasn't a normal occurrence. So I did what you're probably not supposed to do with medical symptoms and googled it just out of curiosity. I found out about MD and was shocked when I realized the symptoms matched mine, although I haven't had a proper long vertigo attack. Other than that, I've experienced the listed symptoms.
I am still quite young, only 16, and I don't know if I am just overreacting to something that's actually small. But this has been happening for around three years now and I'd like to figure out what it is. I thought I'd ask here first before talking to my doctor just in case I'm jumping to conclusions. Could this be MD? Or something else?
I've noticed it's gotten worse since it began. More frequent and more significant. I'm not sure if this has any correlation, but I've also noticed I've been having trouble hearing people at times, and I'm constantly asking people to repeat themselves over and over. I've also had problems with one of my ears where it felt clogged for around a week as if I had water inside it, but I didn't. Finally, my ears always have high pitched ringing in them when it's quiet enough to hear. I feel like that's more common, kinda like 'the sound of silence' or something like that, but I just thought I'd mention it. These might not have anything to do with MD but I just wanted to say it just in case.
Hopefully someone could give me some answers to what's causing this. Thanks so much!
0 likes, 5 replies
patvj liv05
Posted
Talk to your parents and then get to an ENT doctor. While you are waiting for that appointment, restrict your use of salt as much as possible and avoid caffeine. The diet restrictions are probably good for anyone but with with MD, it is extremely important.
Please keep us posted about your progress. This is a great site to go to for advice. I had never heard of MD until I developed the symptons and googled it and found this site.
Our thoughts will be with you.
JMJ liv05
Posted
Liv,
I agree with Pat....Book that ENT oappointment, and in the meantime, lower your sodium consumption to 1500mg/day, stay well hydrated, and see if it makes a difference.
Sadly, getting MD diagnosed is a time consuming process. First, your symptoms are considered, and then every other possible vestibular disease is ruled out. The cardinal signs of MD are vertigo, ear fullness and/or tinnitus, and hearing loss in the affected ear. But, as you can see in this forum, there are hundreds of subtle (and not so subtle!) variations, and the requency and intensity of MD episodes vary widely among individuals.
The one symptom you mentioned that departs from the usual, is head pain. I think you're very smart to take what your feeling seriously, and to have it looked at by a professional.
I hope you will keep us informed of what's happening. You've found a great group of people who are always there with good advice and wonderful support!
Take good care,
J-
Brookiana liv05
Posted
Hello there!
Your symptoms sound exactly like mine at first. You have decribed them well and it is almost like reading a diary of my symptoms 10 years ago, when I was about 28. I didn't think much of it at first because I assumed I had damaged my ears listening to music too loud and going to too many gigs. Until the dizziness started about 5 years ago. I have never had a vertigo episode that lasted more than 10 minutes and my vertigo is not the most frequent of my symptoms, it's the dizziness or floating feeling which disables me the most, along with the brain fog. I also have fullness of both ears (constantly went to the doctor saying I had wax, only to be quickly told that my ears were completely clear) and raging tinnitus (that screeching noise in your ears) which fluctuates with the fullness.
I have not been officially diagnosed with MD. My file just says "probable MD". The reason why the ENT doctor does not feel the need to investigate any further at the moment is because they have discovered that I have a cookie bite hearing loss, which is a U-shaped hearing loss, very rare and probably genetic (it's mid range loss - the voices - I struggle with, not high or low pitch which is near perfect). MD hearing loss does not follow this pattern at all.
The reason I'm telling you this is because my inner ear problems might be related to my strange hearing loss which I have had all my life it seems. So maybe your problems which sound exactly like mine or, I'm sure, other people's on this forum, could be related to something else to do with your ears. I find that most inner ear problems trigger similar responses unfortunately which is why ENT doctors then to try and rule out other things before they are left baffled and tell you you have MD. My big sister has a dead nerve in one ear following an infection and she suffers with similar symptoms (mainly fatigue, vertigo, dizziness and balance issues). There could be several reasons for your symptoms so I think you should definitely go to an ENT doctor and get it checked out. I don't think there is any need to panic at this stage at all but you should definitely get it checked out so you're not permanently wondering what is wrong which can cause so much anxiety and exacerbate your symptoms.
You have come to the right place to ask questions. My doctor found this forum for me as I was off with stress and quite depressed about it all and this forum has been a godsend. Suddenly, you're not alone! Everyone on here has a different story with their MD or other inner ear problems and there is always someone who answers you or gives you advice.
Good luck with it all and let us know how you get on!
Brookiana
Posted
And , I forgot to say, don't let the doctors send you away saying it's nothing or it's probably because you've had a cold. They did this to me for years and I believed them until one doctor took me seriously and now look, I've got hearing aids and everything! At least I now have medication which seems to be working! Be strong and good luck!
liv05
Posted
Thank you all for the tips and advice! I talked to my mother about it and we think that we are going to wait a little bit until we make an ENT appointment to see how I feel. I plan to keep a journal to track when something happens, like my hearing fading in and out. We think it might be good to wait a bit just because according to websites online, you need to have had 2 or more episodes of vertigo lasting 20 minutes to be fully diagnosed with MD, and I haven't had one last that long. My mom is just afraid we will get to the doctors and they will tell us we were just jumping to conclusions, especially because I'm young. In the meantime I will keep track of my symptoms and try to eat less salt and see how I feel. Thanks again, I will post again if there are anymore updates.