posted
Lyme disease, a tick borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, may have long term sequelae of auditory processing difficulties which may persist following treatment. I learned today why I have lost most of my hearing after doing my own research and going to my eye doctor to confirm. auditory processing difficulties = your brain does not communicate with your hearing
Posts: 58 | From GA | Registered: Dec 2014
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Sorry to hear of your news. There may still be some things that help, however. Be sure to include your LLMD in the loop on this.
Indeed, what you report is fairly common during lyme and sometimes afterward (depending upon many variables).
However, [sometimes, not always,though for hearing loss]
if cognition and sensory communication symptoms still persists "after treatment":
treatment may not have been adequate in complexity or length - MAJOR consideration as many with lyme, when treated with combination approaches for long enough, often do get better with auditory / cognitive processing
other tick borne infections may not have been addressed
However, regarding hearing loss (I'm hoping that there may be some way to mitigate that if the hearing loss measured MIGHT BE DUE TO INFLAMMATION rather than nerve damage.
Even with nerve damage, a comprehensive approach for support is important.
Other factors in damage to the ears includes:
liver support may not have been adequate to help protect the ears against both lyme / infection and also some treatments that can be ototoxic.
noise exposure from earlier days, or current times also to consider as certain antibiotics lower the level at which ototoxic drugs can damage the ears / vestibular system
Myelin support may also be a factor as lyme can attack myelin sheath (protective fatty layer around nerve fibers) and when that is damaged, the neurons can go haywire in some cases and not connect in others. So communication with the brain suffers.
Topic: TINNITUS: Ringing Between The Ears; Vestibular, Balance, Hearing with compiled links - including HYPERACUSIS
OTOTOXIC DRUGS explained and what must do to protect against those as much as possible.
And how our eyes are also connected to the whole ear system is in at least one of the posts here, too.
In fact, when the ears are compromised as with lyme, a "secondary" sort of dyslexia can be a problem. Also see the posts on NYSTAGMUS. That can hamper processing visually, too. Magnesium is often a good help with that. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Wait a minute. This just sunk in - your eye doctor has determined hearing loss ?
It's doubtful they can really properly determine hearing loss, specifically.
and backing up further, did you first see an ear specialist to be sure there is no wax build-up or physical obstruction?
Yes, a good eye doctor can detect cognitive vision & hearing processing clues to some degree however you will need to be evaluated by a
neurotologist to determine if there is specific damage to the ear nerves. A neurotologist has training in neurology, of course, a step better than just otologists for your needs.
Still, not all neurotologists (so few, really) are lyme literate so they made still not really help as much as they might if LL.
Ask your LLMD for a referral. This is really important as too many ear specialists prescribe steroids and that can be disaster for those with lyme.
Tests they do can determine the source of any hearing loss. Although, if inflammation is present, it can compromise the results of audiology test.
There are other tests they do to find out about how well the ears are communicating with the brain.
Also see the vestibular therapy posts in the Tinnitus thread above.
Symptoms can be tricky to interpret so don't count your ears as damaged just yet. There are just so many variables. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
eye doctor was a typo I meant ear doctor. All my hearing tests came back in perfect order but, I can not hear very well. It has gotten worse in last 10 years. I am only 2 weeks into lyme treatment and I have had lyme since birth. I am 44. I am having all the brain issues. lost driving ........
Posts: 58 | From GA | Registered: Dec 2014
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Oh. thanks for the clarification.
Good to know the tests are okay, although it is a hassle to experience trouble hearing. There can be so much to this.
Actually, though, in the past ten years, all the things we listen to (TV, radio, phones) have just gotten terrible regarding sound quality. May be one variable.
Inflammation, likely another.
Remember:
There are so many others who have had lyme for decades and got better
and others who have also had to stop driving (and some have gotten that back)
others with brain issues as well who got that back. However, you are just 2 weeks into treatment so there is hope.
This will likely arm you with the importance of knowing all the things that you might do to help protect ears along the way, though.
As for not able to hear very well (even if hearing tests are perfect range) there is a lot they don't measure or even really understand where lyme is concerned. What you experience is certainly disconcerting, I know.
I wonder if some might some of this be due to the total sensory load / overload in certain situations or when just too fatigued? Who knows?
Adrenal dysfunction (we just can't process) also enters into this as does the actual brain processing difficulties so common with lyme. Treatment really has helped many.
If you are measuring anything about hearing as to if you can hear the TV, don't. Just don't. TV sound is often very hard for everyone. So much is hard to hear while other stuff is just at knockout decibels.
Conversation is not something most TV programs or even movies care about.
I find headphones help, corded, not wireless. Wireless stuff has some funny tendencies with ears. Not in the ear buds, though there are some slimmer lightweight headphones that are nice. Just not too loud. If you do want to watch something loud, don't use headphones.
ADJUST the CONTROL AUDIO panel on your TV. That can often help. If you get external speakers, be sure to read all the reviews you can find and also be sure you can omit any added fluff for surround sound. Surround sound can be terrible, actually, to hear conversation from actors as so much emphasis is on the background noises.
Cell phones are also just awful regarding audio quality. So don't determine too much by what you hear on the phone. For yourself, best to avoid a cell phone other than for emergency or very short times.
A land-line is best and safest for ears and you will hear better - IF it is NOT a digital phone . . . yet, for those calling on cell phones it can still be rough.
Ask them to use a land line if they can, or at least be sure their cell is charged up and they are not walking around or touching any synthetic fabrics such as a polar fleece snugglie.
If you are gauging hearing ability by when you are out to eat, well, all bets are off there, too. The acoustics in most places are dreadful.
When you talk face to face with people, be sure they practice conversational courtesy. It may not be your ears but lack on their part to speak clearly.
I'm just guessing as some of the situations above but many have voiced such a puzzling time with some of that.
I hope you will be able to look through the ear thread. It's not as smooth reading as I'd like still there are some excellent things to consider there.
Just do what you can to protect ears while addressing infections / inflammation and don't decide now what the future will look like in all its detail. There is hope that you will improve in many ways. -
[ 02-18-2015, 01:50 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
thank you Keebler You are very kind and encouraging. FYI I dont really watch TV. I gauge my difficulty hearing by people talking to me and I flat out cant hear them. ie. people yelling my name to get my attention and they have to tap me to get their attention I rely on lip reading mostly.
Posts: 58 | From GA | Registered: Dec 2014
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- That you say "gauge my difficulty hearing by people talking to me and I flat out cant hear them. ie. people yelling my name to get my attention and they have to tap me to get their attention I rely on lip reading mostly." (end quote)
Well, I'm shocked, then, that they did not refer you to someone else. To just tell you, the tests are perfect when you say what you say is going on . . . to just let you walk away. That's not right.
I think you need to see a different hearing specialist. If all the tests they did were just perfect results, something is wrong (and there is no wax buildup that they would have - should have - checked).
My guess is those tests were done by an audiologist. See if your LLMD can recommend a
neurotologist.
If they cannot, find one and just remember they may not know about lyme (so no steroids) still, they have some testing and evaluation tools that are likely far more advanced than what you had.
You need to find someone with a full extent of knowledge. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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