Some hearing loss, but...

[GeorgianMumto5]

...apparently there's nothing wrong with my ears. I get earaches, tinnitus, a feeling of pressure and I know I can't hear properly. Other people have commented on my lack of hearing and I'm always having to say, 'Sorry? Can you say that again?'

I've had my ears looked at: no wax, no inflammation. So I was sent for a hearing test: nothing wrong with my hearing.

So why can't I hear?

The nurse said, 'Maybe people are mumbling.'

What - everyone??

Any ideas? I feel a bit of an idiot for going to see the gp now, but I know things aren't right.

Go to the gp and get him to refer you to a specialist - if you know things aren't right, then the fact that a hearing test hasn't shown anything up doesn't mean that everything is fine. A decent gp should listen to what you say about pain, pressure, etc and refer you to someone who knows more about it than the average gp.

But people do mumble. My DH and DS top of the list. I went and had my hearing tested because of how often I have to get them to repeat things. I'm fine. They're the problem, the testing lady was quite sure in my case!

OK.

I had similar symptoms which finally (years later) developed into Meniere's disease. It can also cause vertigo and nausea but can start off with tinnitus and hearing loss. The "feeling of fulness" you mentioned is classic for Meniere's. Ask to be referred to an ENT doctor. Meniere's (and I'm not saying you have it) is only diagnosed after excluding other causes as there is no definitive test for it. Tends to strike in mid life--how old are you? Is it one ear or both? I only have one ear affected and it is unusual to have it develop in both at once.

I'm 42. It's hard to tell, but I'd say my left ear is worse than my right. Meniere's doesn't come under the banner of autoimmune diseases, does it? Only if it does, that would make it slightly more of a possibility for me.

I'm about to phone the go about something else in a minute. I'll see if I can get an appointment for that too.

Thanks.

As far as I know, there is no definitive cause for Menieres, but I have read theories that perhaps it is autoimmune. I'm not a doctor--you need a proper consult with an ENT specialist. Good luck.