Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I had meningitis when I was seven years old, which caused me to lose my hearing. I use hearing aids, and I can hear with them, but it is difficult. One of the doctors mentioned that I have bone issues and need to consult with a rheumatologist, but it is hard for me to understand.
Kindly help.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
The main problem with meningitis is that it is an infection that causes irreversible damage. As far as knowledge goes, there are not many cases that benefited from the hearing. The cochlea is the hearing organ of the human body.
It has three partitions filled with fluid. When hearing loss is caused by meningitis, the cochlea begins to ossify (the canals in the cochlea start turning into bone). Thus, the sound vibrations cannot reach the auditory nerve. Usually, the loss is permanent.
If you already wear hearing aids and are now having a problem with understanding speech, you need to see an audiologist and recheck your hearing, as it might have progressed. If the loss has increased, please reprogram your hearing aids. If it has not changed, then you need to practice communication perception techniques.
A speech therapist can help you with the techniques to improve communication. There are a few techniques for better communication, but as you have not mentioned, I am not familiar with what method you use.
I feel you should have discussed the problem in detail so that I could have helped you more with techniques. Do not hesitate to contact me.
You can always come back and reach me anytime.
I hope you find this helpful.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thank you for the reply.
I wear hearing aids, and I understand I have a speech problem. But another thing is, when I clean my ears with earwax remover pins, my hearing improves slightly. I can hear better when someone speaks loudly.
I also have a joint problem, which makes it difficult for me to sit on the ground because it causes too much pain. I use chairs to sit, but I can walk perfectly. One of the doctors told me that I need to consult with a rheumatologist because joints are connected to the ears. Is this true?
Please suggest.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
First of all, I will warn you not to use pins to clean your ears at all. If the pin damages your membrane, the ear might get infected, and the hearing loss may increase. It seems that you have wax in your ears. Please consult an ENT or audiologist to clean your ears.
Yes, he can clear your joint pains. However, there are no proven cases that have been treated for meningitis by consulting a rheumatologist.
I hope this helps.
Thanks.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thank you for the reply.
Can you tell me what further tests are needed? Could it be due to autoimmunity since I also have joint pains?
Please help.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
You should visit an audiologist once a year for a checkup. At the age of seven, it is difficult to know that you have an autoimmune disorder. It is a viral infection, so there are low chances of autoimmune disease at a young age.
You can always come back and reach me anytime.
Thank you for consulting me.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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