ELAINE’S STORY
NOT RECOGNISED AS SSHL – PERMANENT HEARING LOSS
It started as a typical day. My daughter woke me up and cuddled into bed beside me for that extra special 10 minutes sleep before the alarm went off. At that point my hearing was totally normal. I remember laying in a funny position on one side with my head and neck at a bit of an odd angle as my daughter was taking up most of the bed. When the alarm went off I lifted my head and had an acute buzzing and ringing in my left ear.
Trying not to worry I took the kids to school but found that when people were chatting to me it was very muffled yet overwhelming. When I got back home to a silent house I realised the ringing had stopped but I could no longer hear out of my left ear. It was Deaf.
I went straight to A&E but the condition was not recognised as SSHL or urgent and I was otherwise fit and healthy. It was not until 10 days later that I was given oral steroids to try, but by then the hearing loss was permanent.
Quick action does not guarantee results but in our opinion it is always worth a try. At least you will feel that you gave your hearing the best shot to recover and if it is not successful you can then move forward and work out the best way to manage your change in hearing.
Aston Hearing offer an emergency out of hours contact number to call if you think you are experiencing SSHL 07970 522150 or call 01494 733840 during office hours. We can advise on the best appropriate action for you to take.
