Update after 5 months
A few months ago I was convinced my hearing was permanently getting worse.
I had repeated episodes of low-frequency hearing loss in one ear, tinnitus, fullness/pressure, and diplacusis. It was terrifying. At one point it kept fluctuating for weeks and I genuinely thought my life would never go back to normal.
Doctors considered Ménière’s disease, cochlear hydrops, vestibular issues, and I went through multiple tests including MRI. Thankfully there was no tumor or major structural problem.
What made my case strange was that I never really had true vertigo attacks. No spinning room, no vomiting, no balance issues. Also, my symptoms were strongly connected to sleep position, neck tension, stress, and exhaustion. All episodes happened during sleeping with my head/neck in a bad position.
Over time I noticed a pattern:
bad neck posture or sleeping position -symptoms worse
stress and muscle tension - symptoms worse
better ergonomics, physiotherapy, proper pillow, hydration and reducing overload -symptoms improved
The biggest turning point in my case was switching to an ergonomic/anatomical pillow and paying much more attention to my neck position during sleep. After that, the major attacks completely stopped.
Since the beginning of this year, I’ve only had two very mild episodes, both clearly connected to sleeping in a bad position. In both cases the low-frequency hearing fluctuation improved and normalized again during the same day.
I still occasionally get mild fluctuations, especially after overloading my neck or sleeping badly, but nothing like the severe episodes I had before.
I also started taking magnesium, riboflavin (B2), CoQ10 and betahistine prescribed by my doctor, and things gradually stabilized.
The important thing I want to say is:
hearing fluctuations do not always mean a progressive disaster.
Reading Reddit during my worst period made me believe recovery was almost impossible, because people who improve often disappear and stop posting. I promised myself that if I ever got better, I would come back and write an update.
I’m not claiming I found “the answer” or cured anything. I still have a sensitive system and occasional mild fluctuations happen. But today I function normally again, my hearing mostly returned, and my life is not controlled by fear anymore.
If you are currently in the middle of this nightmare:
please don’t lose hope too quickly. 🙂