I have a new leaf in my life called Otosclerosis

For over a week now I have been fighting dizziness and nausea. I actually thought that somehow a drug had been slipped into my Cherry Limeade from Sonic after I ate dinner there and climbed into bed when the room started spinning and I couldn't even lift my head up. This continued for days on and off when I go from laying to sitting, sitting to standing, and even when I used the restroom. My fiance took me to the ER last week and after 5 hours of being there the Dr. decided I had vertigo and prescribed me meds to help and told me no work or driving for 2-3 days to just putter around the house if it continued to contact a specialist ENT. Well I did just that I puttered around the house not so very well and took my meds not making a big difference but the dizziness did seem to let up some. Monday I returned to work and as I walked in it hit me the dizziness was back and I struggled all day at work to do my job at this point I felt I was walking on a swinging bridge and looking at my computer I felt I was looking through a mason jar with the edges all fuzzy to see and wavy. At that point I called and made an appt with a specialist who adv me no driving or anything until 2 days later when I could come into the office. This morning we went into the office praying they would find an answer to my problem and hoping it was an inner ear infection or easily fixed. We were not ready or prepared for the answers we received. I failed my hearing test with big red letters across that paper and not only in one ear but both. As the Dr. walked into my room and asked to know how long I have had significant hearing loss I could not tell him as I did not know I had hearing problems. The answer we got for my problem is known as Otosclerosis.

What is that?! It means hard ear for the extra bone growth on the stapes bone in the middle ear. That bone needs to move freely to be able to hear properly and with the bone growth it is unable to move meaning I am going deaf and didn't even realize that my normal is not everyones normal.

Who can get it and why?! About 10% of adult Caucasians have it and women are at a higher risk. Research says it can start anywhere between 15 and 45 years old; however, the only thing going through my head is my Dr. repeating you are just 25 you are just 25 you are so young to have this just 25. It is a genetic disposition mostly passed down from the women's side of the family; however, it is rare that it can happen without being genetically disposed to it. You may know some of these famous people with it Adam Savage, Beethoven, and Steve Downie.

What are the symptoms?! Hearing loss is the most frequent symptom of course. Most have reported noticing they cannot hear low-pitched sounds or whispers. Other symptoms are known to be dizziness, balance problems, and sensations of ringing, roaring, buzzing, or hissing. I didn't even notice that I had hearing loss until the dizziness and balance problems came which cannot be a good sign. The earlier you see a doctor for any symptoms the better and easier to catch and slow the process; otherwise, you will end up like me and realize your normal is not normal at all and if not taken care of will get worse and worse.

How is it diagnosed?! The Dr. will order a hearing test and it is mostly found due to the loss of low frequency tones when the vibrations cannot go from your middle to your inner ear. Based on your hearing test results the Dr. will make a diagnosis and from there suggest treatments. I was relieved some when my Dr. told me that we will start with hearing aids tomorrow which is step 1 of 9 in treating this disease, but I have to remember it is progressive and cannot be treated and just go away. 

Treatment?! At first diagnosis or if hearing loss is mild the Dr. may recommend hearing aids for the time being to help amplify the sound. Sodium floride has been known to slow down the process so the first chance you get go to a local health store and get you some daily pills to take. In the end a Stapedectomy will be done to correct the bone growth. 

  
What is a Stapedectomy?! It is an outpatient surgery removing part or all of the immobilized stapes bone and replacing it with a prosthetic device. The prosthetic device allows the bones of the middle ear to resume movement, which stimulates fluid in the inner ear and improves or restores hearing. For me I have it in both ears which eight out of ten people have in both ears. The Dr. will usually wait a minimum of six months between surgeries doing one ear at a time.

This chick has Otosclerosis and will not let it control her life or job! I will be going tomorrow to check out some hearing aids and see if we can find a fit that will work for me and help and in 6 months return for possible surgery. In the meantime to help with dizziness it is daily exercises of Brandt-Daroff.