Is anyone aware of any connection between PsA or any type of Inflammatory Arthritis and hearing loss? I started experiencing hearing loss around the same time I started experiencing initial symptoms of my arthritis (2008). In 2010 I finally had my hearing checked (after much nagging from my family) and I had suffered bilateral hearing loss of about 50%, which as far as they could determine from the tests was likely related to either illness or an autoimmune disorder. At that point, I had not been diagnosed with PsA, but was having symptoms of arthritis which I was previously diagnosed as having Osteoarthritis. I also have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is also autoimmune related and have for many years, so maybe the hearing loss is related to that?
Apparently they can tell from the testing if the hearing loss is resulting from trauma/loud noise, etc. which they said mine was not, and an ear examination by a specialist said there is absolutely nothing wrong with my ears (structurally). So, long and short of it is, I was just wondering if anyone was aware of any connection between this disease (PsA) which I was finally diagnosed with in January, and hearing loss.....I am 46 and have to wear hearing aids, so I am kind of trying to come to terms with why this hearing loss has happened (as well as all the other crappy things that have happened!).
Any insight or knowledge anyone has would be appreciated.
Yes, there is a clear link. (I was an audiologist in an earlier life) Its rare but permanent. most loss from too many concerts and noise (life in general) is at about the 4000 level. The senso-neural loss from Auto immune is at higher ranges normally well out of the speech ranges. Normally hearing aids aren't terribly effective at these ranges., but that doesn't stop a lot of them from being dispensed. ( I know there have been some advances made in Hearing aids, but the best can't stimulate nerves that aren't there anymore.)
In all honesty I would visit a nearby university with a Communication and Science Disorders Department for a very thorough evaluation that won't be biased towards a "sale" to find out what is really going on. Anyway hers a good journal article:
There has been a study done at the University of Washington (I think, but can't find the source) that with long term inflamation control there CAN be some improvement
Also didn't you have some colitis? Thats also a cause of hearing loss
Oh God, have been experiencing tinnitus for months now- have mentioned it to ALL my doctors and they keep mumbling about meds, blood pressure (which I never had an issue with until my PSA journey began)- BTW BP's good at present.
Have noticed that I'm turning the tv/ music up louder now, but put it down to being in the prime of life -lol- am 56yrs.
Spose I need to add hearing loss to my growing list of issues????
Thanks, that is good information. I did have the hearing tests done at the Alberta Health Services unit rather than some place that "sells" hearing aids for the very reason that I didn't want to get any biased tests. I can't remember what my "numbers" where, but I do find that the hearing aids help "somewhat", but things are still not perfectly clear.
Thanks for the article...good information.
tntlamb said:
Yes, there is a clear link. (I was an audiologist in an earlier life) Its rare but permanent. most loss from too many concerts and noise (life in general) is at about the 4000 level. The senso-neural loss from Auto immune is at higher ranges normally well out of the speech ranges. Normally hearing aids aren't terribly effective at these ranges., but that doesn't stop a lot of them from being dispensed. ( I know there have been some advances made in Hearing aids, but the best can't stimulate nerves that aren't there anymore.)
In all honesty I would visit a nearby university with a Communication and Science Disorders Department for a very thorough evaluation that won't be biased towards a "sale" to find out what is really going on. Anyway hers a good journal article:
There has been a study done at the University of Washington (I think, but can't find the source) that with long term inflamation control there CAN be some improvement
Also didn't you have some colitis? Thats also a cause of hearing loss
I never know there was a link betweent the two either. I am 32, I have been wearing hearing aids since I was 26. My hearing loss is assymetrical, meaning I have more loss in one ear thatn the other. I was exposed to a lot of concerts and noise in my teens and early 20's so I thought that is what attributed to the loss.
About wearng the aids, I fell that they do help me, I can follow conversations and understand what people are saying to me when I have them in. I was also very upset that I had to waer them at such a young age too.
I have also been wearing glasses since I was 13. So I have the trifecta, bad eyes, bad ears, bad joints. I have been stuggling to come to terms with this for a long time. I am not old, but I seem to have all these "Old people" problems. When I go see a specialist, I am the ususally the youngest in the waiting room and get looked at funny for bringing my kids.
I now see these things as tools that help me live my life the way I want to live it. Glasses to see, little electronic devices to hear, and injections to move. All marvelous inventions, made my people smarter than me. :)
OMG ... I have sensorineural hearing loss too, as well as tinnitus 24/7. I also have Meniere's syndrome (just look it up, makes me sick to think about it, LOL!), but some of my specialists have commented that the pattern of my hearing loss is not typical of Meniere's. I wonder ...
Tntlamb, that link is really interesting. It never occurred to me that there might be a connection between my autoimmune disorder and my hearing loss. I've been hearing impaired since my thirties or forties, though, and I was almost 60 before my PsA was diagnosed.
Louise, you made me laugh! I agree: thank goodness we have marvelous inventions made by smart people. I just hope some smart person figures out how to cure PsA. The sooner the better!