Unilateral and Bilateral M.D.

Hi,  My situation is similar.  For quite a few years I had vertigo attacks but with months apart.  Then the vertigo attacks increased about 2 years ago to a few a month.  I had a lot of ear pain in right ear off and on.  It was always just in that ear.  I always dreaded it becoming bilateral!  Then I had extensive balance testing almost a year ago and this revealed that I do have it in my left ear also.  But I wasn’t overly surprised as I get ear pain in both ears, and have for over a year.  I have lost most of my hearing in the right ear, the worst ear.  Some hearing loss in left ear.  I now have a Bicros hearing aid  which helps.  I take 48 mg Betahistine twice a day and have not had any vertigo attacks since.  However, my balance is good some days and bad on other days.    For instance, today it is snowing, overcast and low air pressure. Both ears are hurting, it’s that low level ear pressure feeling which is very uncomfortable.  Went to a grocery store and felt sick with the bright lights and al the people.  I joined Tai Chi and this can help with my balance.  But I find the weather is a big factor, in my case. I wish you the best.  My ENT says the brain can essentially adapt to a certain degree, to vestibular damage. So I am trying to do that as best I can!  But it’s a daily struggle, for sure.  Take care!

Also...just another thought. Make sure that someone who understands different types of hearing loss is looking at your audiogram. Typical MD hearing loss looks very different on an audiogram than age related hearing loss. I'm 58 and my doc told me that my audiogram does not show age related hearing loss. This is why the hearing aids are a tricky thing. Lol I hear many frequencies really well, even in my left ear which is the worst ear...the higher frequencies even better than "normal". So many MD sufferers have fluctuating hearing loss all over the map...so hearing aids can drive them crazy! My loss has become permanent (or so they tell me lol) so the aids are helping, but it's certainly a process. I was disappointed because there were reports that hearing aids diminished tinnitus in for some users but that want the case for me. I still have super loud tinnitus. At first I thought the aids made it worse but that's not the case...it was probably stress over getting the aids that did it because it has calmed now and is back to its normal roar.

Hope you're having a good day!

~Mary