About Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Expertise I am a board-certified otolaryngologist with additional subspecialty training in otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery. This is the subspecialty of otolaryngology that involves the ear, hearing, balance organs, the facial nerve, and surgery of the skull base including surgery for acoustic neuroma and other benign and malignant tumors of the base of the skull.
Experience Medical school, residency in otolaryngology, fellowship in otology/neurotology/skull base surgery
Organizations American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
North American Skull Base Society
American Neurotology Society
Publications Laryngoscope Otology and Neurotology
Education/Credentials MD Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 2001
Otolaryngology Residency, University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology, Iowa City, IA
Otology/Neurotology Fellowship, House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
Expert: Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Date: 11/25/2006 Subject: Ear
Question As a matter of fact the ENT did write "sensorineural hearing loss" on the exam results and in my file. What does it mean?
Thank you
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The text above is a follow-up to ...
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Background: Allergy triggered stuffed nose and post nasal dripping.
Have had what was thought to be a sinus infection with blocked ear (unilateral). Got cortisone and then antibiotics which made me feel worse and did not help. Calrinase helped reduce the stuffiness in the ear but not to a full extant. Hearing test showed a minor decrease in hearing in that ear.
(Dr. said it may have existed prior to the current situation). I have suffered from terrible nausea which was thought, by the ENT to be related to reflux.(I doubt it, have had reflux for 15 years and this was different)
Dizziness, or not really dizziness but rather feeling unstable, feeling like I am sleep walking, not focused. Driving was the worse. I couldn't watch out the window had to focus on the floor. Have had a few episodes of light headiness. Insomnia for about 2 months.
Felt like there is a heavy weight on my forehead and eyes, like I couldn't open them fully. My head is "buzzing" (high pitch). Computer made me feel dizzy and sick. In general vision problems.
Currently, 4 months into it, Sleep is a lot better. My head still feels fuzzy, heavy and foggy, not focused especially where there is a lot of traffic, a lot of people or laud noise. I have better hours and worse. Can go by car now but not drive. TV is OK and reading a book in bed is also fine.
When I feel better I can feel the ear is not entirely open, (As if a good yawn will pop it open) and minor buzzing. At worst I feel like the whole head is buzzing and hearts.
Headache is mainly a tightness feel around the temples.
CT Scan – OK
Neurologist and ENT said it was a virus infection. I have not been to the doctor for 2 months.
Will appreciate your opinion.
Thank you
AA
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You have many complaints, and not all may be related to the same problem.
What did your audiogram show? Did you have a sensorineural hearing loss in the blocked ear? If you did, you may have suffered a viral labyrinthitis in the affected ear that caused problems with hearing and balance, and you are slowly compensating.
You may want to get an MRI of the brain with contrast to rule out acoustic neuroma.
Answer Sensorineural hearing loss indicates that you had a loss of inner ear hearing function. This probably happened at the same time that you had your balance problem. You may have had a viral infection that caused inflammation in the balance system and in the cochlea. This is called labyrinthitis.
Most often people compensate over time. You can do home exercises to help this. Do a Google search on "Cawthorne's Exercises" for help.
