Deaf in one ear

[Shotokan-kez]

Hi guys. Just wanted to run something by you. Since i was a child i have had earache and infections in my right ear but never in the left. As i have grown into an adult the earache has subsided slightly but i can't hear very well. It still gets infected slightly and boy when i get an infection i am crying with the pain, it tends to burst, then it bleeds sometimes and the pain is immense. I always need the stronger type of anti-biotics and drops to get rid of the infection.

My gp did refer me to the ear nose and throat clininc at the hospital and they told me my ear drum is defformed slightly and there is a very small hole in it, they said that there is no need for surgery as long as i keep it clean. By this i can't get any water in it, so washing my hair makes it difficult and i can't go swimming.

The thing that bothers me the most is that i can barely hear a thing out of that ear. I did a test over the phone with my friend last night and i asked her to say a long sentence on that ear, when she did it i didnt hear a thing she said. I should go to my gp but he just gives me drops again and sends me away. I also noticed that when there is a large class at karate and say i'm at the back i can't hear my sensei's instructions.

So basically i'm thinking. Does it matter if i can't hear anything out of one ear? Do we really need both ears, and should i see about having an hearing aid? I would be gutted if it happened to my other ear too and i went completely deaf.

Thanks for listening and any advice is appreciated!

Kez xx

[lordtariel]

I had the same issue when I was a kid with both ears. My first doctor just thought I was mentally handicapped.(That's a much nicer term than what apparently he told my parents, what he said wouldn't get through the censor. He's also the one that told my parents to force me to be right handed because I'd never get anywhere being left handed), fortunately my mom dropped him as a doctor and got a second opinion.

It was discovered that I had 85-95% hearing loss in both ears. I used to get really bad infections as well.(I loved the medicine though, it tasted yummy ) I actually had tubes put in my ears to correct the issue. I still have minor issues when I get water in my ears, but my hearing improved dramatically.

Having hearing in both ears is a plus, but with everything, we can adapt to changes fairly well. You might want to consider ear plugs for when you're in the shower and swimming, it makes a big difference for me.

[Shotokan-kez]

Oh thank you very much, that sounds promising. I know what you mean about the medicine we used to get as kids. We used to call it banana medicine because it was yellow It tasted nothing like banana's though it was just penicilin

So these tubes you had, what was the procedure and did it hurt? Whenever the docs mess with my ear it kills . There is something called a grommit that get's inserted into your ear, not sure i want that though.

I am actually going to the docs this afternoon so i will ask him about ear plugs!

[username8517]

Aside from hearing, your ears allow you to detect direction of noises. When you encounter sound waves, it will hit both ears. However there will be a mere fraction of a second difference in time it takes the sound to hit both your ear drums. Your brain registers this difference and uses it to get a good general direction of the sounds location.

Best of luck with your situation and like lordtariel stated, your body can learn to adapt over time.

[Shotokan-kez]

Thanks for the info bearich.

I went to the docs this evening and he basically fobbed me off again. He prescribed me some tablets called pseudosphedrine, he said i just had a blocked up head and sinus's. I asked him about a hearing test but he didnt even answer my question...how rude!!

[bushido_man96]

If I were you Kez, I would go see the specialist. You don't want to let something like this go too long, because the effects could be irreversible.

I feel for you! You are having nothing but tough times, it seems!

[glockmeister]

I know how you feel, I am partially deaf in my right ear. Also, in the winter time or when the seasons change, I get a slight ringing in that ear or sometiems it just seems to "fill up" and makes it even more difficult to hear. It can be embarrassing because I will often have to have people repeat themselves because I fail to hear them.

[Shotokan-kez]

Thanks Bushido...i'm like a walking illness lol. I'm keeping my chin up though.

I get the ringing too. And often when i speak to people they shout 'what!' loads of times on purpose lol