Q&A

Subject: Flu related hearing problem

From: RM

Hi! I am one of those unfortunate people who have hearing loss and ringing of the ear from the flu. Is there a cure, a hope to stop the ringing and gain my normal hearing back ?

Dear R,
Unfortunately, the flu virus often attacks the auditory nerve and causes permanent damage. After the illness, there is usually some (but not usually complete) recovery. The longer the time that passes, the less likelihood for improvement. The ringing you have is a symptom of the nerve damage. Once again, complete relief is not likely. Just like itching can come and go, most people with Tinnitus (ringing) experience times when the sound goes away.

Fatigue, tension, exposure to loud noise can all make the ringing seem louder and more annoying. There are devices which you can wear to try to cover up the ringing sound. They are called Tinnitus maskers and can be obtained from your audiologist. There is also a National Tinnitus Association which may be helpful to you. They have local chapters where members give help and support to each other and speakers are invited to share pertinent information.

Another possible consideration would be to wear hearing aids to compensate for the hearing loss you mentioned. Making the sounds of the world louder often makes the ringing sounds seem less intrusive.

Good Luck
Solveig