Yesterday we went back in to see Dr. Huang. Nothing nasty going on in the head scans, so no left ‘n’ right ear tumors or anything scary like that. I do seem to have some sort of inner ear fluid issue, which seems most likely to be Meniere’s Disease, like my Grandpa Holderby had. I’m not having major vertigo issues yet, which would make the diagnosis easier.
The treatment we’re going with is a diuretic taken once a day in the morning (to minimize nighttime bladder-induced waking). This should help regulate the fluid in my inner ears, along with the bonus of lowering my blood pressure. I took the first one this morning, and it’s not bad at all so far. This will probably only maintain my current level of hearing rather than fix anything, but that’s something. I suppose it should help me avoid the vertigo, too, which can be disabling in some people with Meniere’s.
We are going to schedule a hearing aid fitting and see what styles help the most. I’m hoping that Costco carries whatever brand we end up picking, as I hear (heh) their prices can be up to $1,000 cheaper. Per ear.
On the upside, if not my first set of ‘aids, my next one in five or so years will probably have Bluetooth or some new wireless technology, to allow me to listen to music or phone calls without putting on headphones. Efficiency? Sounds good to me.
[Edit: I completely forgot to mention the part where I'm also starting a low-sodium diet. Denial? Never!]
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