I am still confused if bacterial meningitis can cause a progressive hearing loss or a stable one? When I was 2 years old, I was diagnosed with a severe hearing loss in both ears and wore hearing aids in both ears. When I was 14, almost 15 years old, my left ear dropped to the profound level (I cannot use my left hearing aid anymore because everyone sounded distorted when it is on, but I can hear sounds with it), and my right ear is still the same (severe hearing loss). I don't know what caused my left ear to go, unless it was an ear infection from a cold (eardrum exploded) that year but this happened to my RIGHT ear, not my left one.
Can meningitis cause hearing loss to be progressive? Just wondering.....or what about the German Measles? I wasn't born deaf or hearing-impaired until I was only 2 years old...and I had a pile of ear infections before age 2.

Nancy

Nancy,

Well, I am severe to profound deaf due to german measle that my mother contracted while I was in her womb. german measle = rubella doesn't, IMO, strike infant causing deafness but if it strike a mother who's pregant, then the unborn baby is in danger.. as for meningitis, I am not sure if it does cause progressive hearing loss but all I know and have heard that it just create some type of hearing loss.

as far as I recall that progressive hearing loss can be caused by oxtoxic drugs and something else I can't put finger on..

check this out
http://www.asha.org/hearing/disorders/types.cfm and also check other links on rigth side column in that page...

I hope this will help you..

take care!

many things can cause hearing loss to progress. there are too many to mention, but I would definitly get a medical and audiological evaluation to make sure there isn't any medical reason for the progression in hearing loss.

Wow, I did not know that meningitis can cause progressive hearing loss. I had spinal meningitis. My first audiogram showed my hearing loss at 60 dB one month before I became 2 years. My last audiogram (30 years later) before my CI surgery showed a 126 dB hearing loss.

Southern Belle

Southern Belle,
Since you and I both had bacterial meningitis when we were infants (I was 2 years old when I was diagnosed with my hearing loss), do you have any long-term effects from the disease (besides our hearing)?
Some meningitis survivors said in message boards that short-term memory loss is one symptom. I have been wondering if I have that too since I can remember most things a long time ago, but some things I cannot remember or retain what was being said (and I was paying attention but people think I don't). I really don't know why I have been having these problems...and wonder if meningitis is the cause for this. I had no problems at school because I can remember what I learned from textbooks, but complex subjects that requires critical thinking skills like math, I study, remember it, and then when it is over, I forget it. In English, I can read what I see and can still remember Language Arts stuff, but not Math! I was a very good student at school but I can tell my critical thinking skills or a concept in looking at a paper with law words that I have never had to deal with before is really bothering me. I am used to doing work that is just data entry input (just typing without thinking) instead of what to do on a paper with specific wording in data entry. I used to think Data Entry was easy to do at work, but in this job, I hate to say this but it changed my tune about my career just because of difficulty in concept on paperwork.
Does anyone else have this problem and what this is? Or is this by meningitis? I like to find out so I can solve it.
Thanks to anyone who can help me.

Nancy

Nancy,

Sorry if I misled you. It was spinal meningitis, which is different from bacterial meningitis. I had balance problems due to my hearing loss but I am fine now.

S'belle

Spinal menigitis CAN be bacterial!!!!

LP,

Thanks! I learn something new every time I read DOL. I did not know that spinal meningitis can be bacterial.

s'belle

Both the brain and the spinal cord are protected by the meninges, which is a tough membrane that has three layers...outer layer: dura mater; middle layer:arachnoid; inner layer: pia mater. Also cerebrospinal fluid is present and serves as a lubricant. When a person gets meningitis an infection has invaded the meninges at either the cranial or spinal site (or both)! The infection can either be viral (less serious) or bacterial (very serious). Most complications arise from bacterial meningitis.

LP,

Could the meningitis have stayed in my body after my recovery? I was sent home the next day. I am asking because I apparently could still hear my Dad's voice in the other room but not my Mom's voice. If I could see my Mom when she said something, I would respond. When they tested my hearing loss two months after I left the hospital, the audiogram showed a 60 dB loss. But I think that by the time I was 5, my loss progressed further.

Or could the effects from the meningitis continued after the meningitis was gone?

Southern Belle

S'Belle...I don't think so. Usually the bacterial agent responsible is Haemophilus influenzae (all babies now get vaccinated for this). Once it's gone from the body, it's gone. In the past it responded well to antibiotic therapy, but the more global the disease is in the body, the more difficult to treat. It is more probable, in your case, that the antibiotics used were aminoglycosides which are ototoxic. They build up gradually in the cochlea and can cause hearing loss. So, my guess is the progressive nature immeadiately following the bout with meningitis was caused by the antibiotic therapy! Unfortunately, the treatment for life threatening illnesses can and does cause hearing loss.

Little Pitty,

Thanks! It was my understanding that the high fever caused profound damage to the hair cells in my cochlea. Was "aminoglycosides" available in the 1970s? Yes, it was a life threatening disease.

S'belle

S' Belle...yes they have been around much longer than that I want to say they came out in the 60's, but not totally sure.I know they were used to treat combat wounds during Vietnam. The ones used today have been reformulated to lessen their impact, and now we know they cause hair cell damage, where when they first came out and were being used on soldiers it was assumed that soldiers lost hearing from combat, not meds!