I have been reading some of the earlier posts since I am new to the group. I found one that is interesting because I have been struggling with hearing loss in my right ear that the ENT is unable to figure out. I had no idea that SS could affect the ear canal. Does anybody have thoughts or experiences with unexplained hearing loss and what you need to tell the ENT to determine if it is related to SS. Thanks for any comments on this subject.
I am curious too…. I get very itchy inside the ear and have to watch out for wax build up. I guess it doesn't move well through the ear like it does for non-SS people. I deal with ringing in the ears which has gotten very annoying over the last year. I am very curious what the doc and others have to say about ear issues. Thanks for starting the conversation.
I’ll also add in that long term use of NSAIDs can also cause hearing loss.
EnjoyLife said:
I am curious too…. I get very itchy inside the ear and have to watch out for wax build up. I guess it doesn't move well through the ear like it does for non-SS people. I deal with ringing in the ears which has gotten very annoying over the last year. I am very curious what the doc and others have to say about ear issues. Thanks for starting the conversation.
Enjoy life
I have ringing too sometimes worse than others. I did find out from my moms ear specialist that chocolate and any caffeine in general causes this as well. I cannot have caffeine anyway because it makes my dryness very bad but cannot completely give up on chocolate but have cut down on it. I do notice when I have a lot of chocolate the ringing does get worse. If you have caffeine try to eliminate it, but watch because cold turkey will give you a migraine headache for days until it gets out of your system, and them see if the ear ringing is any different...good luck
Wow, that's interesting. It could well be. Its probably the one thing I hadn't heard yet…. probably because I'm not supposed to have caffeine either. the ringing never quite goes away but the loudness fluctuates. Its been ridiculous lately. I have been cheating quite a bit lately between the chocolate and putting more regular in my half-caff. Going to try it!
EnjoyLife said:
Wow, that's interesting. It could well be. Its probably the one thing I hadn't heard yet…. probably because I'm not supposed to have caffeine either. the ringing never quite goes away but the loudness fluctuates. Its been ridiculous lately. I have been cheating quite a bit lately between the chocolate and putting more regular in my half-caff. Going to try it!
Sounds like that may be your trigger....cut back or out completely and keep me posted...curious to see if it lessens for you....good luck.
I am interested in this too. I have been having intermitten issues with my left ear. Pressure, buzzing and hard of hearing during episodes. I also have dizziness and vertigo. It is not all the time but enough to bother me. I did some research and found on the Vestibular Disorders Association information about Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease. It specifically lists Sjogren’s as one of the diseases that affect the ear. I plan on bring it up to my new doctor after I switch insurance at the beginning of the year.
Here is the website if you want to check it out:
http://vestibular.org/autoimmune-inner-ear-disease-aied
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microkat said:
I am interested in this too. I have been having intermitten issues with my left ear. Pressure, buzzing and hard of hearing during episodes. I also have dizziness and vertigo. It is not all the time but enough to bother me. I did some research and found on the Vestibular Disorders Association information about Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease. It specifically lists Sjogren's as one of the diseases that affect the ear. I plan on bring it up to my new doctor after I switch insurance at the beginning of the year.
Here is the website if you want to check it out:
http://vestibular.org/autoimmune-inner-ear-disease-aiedMicrokat - thanks for the link, I will certainly check it out. The symptoms you have sound like my moms so you might want to look into info on ear crystals. What her ear specialist did was certain tests and diagnosed her as having the crystals in her inner ear off balance. She had severe dizziness and almost looked like she was drunk when she walked....she is 85 years old and it has her so afraid to walk for fear of falling. When it gets really bad she has to do these things called log rolls which helps shift the crystals back in place. Thankfully this is not my problem....mine is hearing loss in my right ear. The weird part is at times I can hear in it very clearly so the hearing isn't gone just muffled by something and I am wondering if it is lack of moisture in the ear.
Oh thank you so much for posting this. You have no idea how much sense it makes to me. I too go through long periods of hearing loss/pressure feeling in my right ear. I think my ENT thinks I am crazy as I tell him and he finds nothing wrong and doesn’t understand why I feel that. After reading your post and the responses from others along with the website link I am going to talk to him again. I really am not crazy. Whew!!
Nope. Not crazy… but its easier for the doctors than admitting they just don't know. LOL
I am sure you are right with that. Hard for them to admit that.
Thanks for your post and info. I am in the process of being diagnosed (whew!). My right ear just suddenly sounded like something was sucked in a few months back, and it never reopened, is full of pressure and buzzing like yours! The ENT I saw is sending me to Vestibular Rehab Therapy tomorrow. I just wanted him to open my ear!! All this is so new to me. I’m bringing in a copy of this article with me tomorrow. I’m still in shock that all this is happening to me. It’s so fast, so unexpected, and so serious! Feeling dazed…