Expert: Harriet B Jacobster, Au.D. - 12/22/2008

Question
QUESTION: I've been passed around to every known specialists on hearing loss and none have come up with any answers.  It started 4 years ago, I was rear ended on the freeway while the traffic was stopped because of an accident and I was hit from behind, pushing me into the car in front and I suffered a good whiplash.  I was taken to the hospital by ambulance, had x-rays and no bones were broken, so I was released.  Of course I ached every where and suffered with dizzy spells.  What was my main concern was my fatigue and I couldn't focus or stay awake while at work.  About 2 weeks later I lost the hearing in my left ear, totally, and have had numerous MRI's, tests, you name it I've had it.  August 8, 2007 I woke up completely deaf, I had just had my hearing test a few days before and my right ear was functioning at 100%.  I was placed in the hospital, tested with another MRI for a brain tumor, MS, Stroke, then had a spinal tap for meningitis. I spent 2 days in the hospital being fed an IV of steroids, nothing worked.  I'm now completely deaf and have to use powerful hearing aids.  It's been frustrating because none of the specialists I've seen can tell me why I'm deaf.  They ruled out the whiplash accident saying that it doesn't cause people to go deaf, so, I've never had even an ear ache, ear infection and the only thing that has happened is that I lost my hearing because of my accident. My fatigue has improved over time and I wish my hearing would.  The annoying thing is the accident wasn't even my fault and my medical bills are out of this world because of this accident.  My car was totaled out, I've gone through 2 sets of hearing aids which also are not cheap, $5500.00 for the first set and now $4800.00 for my new set.  I just wish somebody can tell me why I'm now deaf and all of these specialists tell me I'm just a medical wonder because they don't know and they have no answers. It's become very frustrating. I have all of my hearing tests from my audologist and other specialists if you want me to email them to you.

ANSWER: Hi Eileen,
Before I can answer fully, I need to ask you a question:
Did your airbag deploy?  
Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified in Audiology

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My airbag didn't deploy which surprised the officer who came to the scene, it should have gone off but it didn't.  I always wear a seat belt and my neck where my seat belt rubs was pretty red and really sore.

Answer
Hi Eileen,
Unfortunately, you may never find out the reason you lost your hearing.  Although it is more likely than not that your hearing loss is related to the car accident, there is always the possibility that it was just a coincidence.  From your statement "...fatigue and couldn't focus or stay away..." it sounds as if you may have had a concussion. Even if you did not hit your head, the fact that your brain itself may have moved within your skull with such a sudden and severe blow could result in trauma. A concussive blow to the head can result in several types of trauma to the ear: dislocation or fracture of the middle ear bones, fracture of the cochlea, a fistula in the inner ear leading to inner ear fluid leakage, a temporal bone fracture leading to hearing loss, hemorrhage in the inner ear, etc., etc. And, yet, as I said earlier, it is just a possibility that some type of immune dysfunction was triggered which led to your hearing loss.  Because we cannot really see inside the delicate structures of the inner ear, we can really only guess at the true cause of a hearing loss in a case such as yours.  The standard procedure is to rule out a tumor or other physiological disorder than can be treated; in your case, none was found.

I am also concerned about the fact that you've gone through two sets of hearing aids in a little more than a year.  Why is this? You should have had better satisfaction than that.
Hope this helps.
Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified in Audiology