Has anyone heard of shingles causing hearing loss?

My Mom had a bad case of shingles and within a week lost almost half of her hearing, most of it overnight. It has not returned and she now uses a hearing aid and copes the best that she can.

I'd sure like to understand what happened to her and, of course, find out if there's anything we can do to a.) help her now, and b.) prevent it from happening again.

Cheers,
Anka

Hi, I found this site for you. http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2001/301_pox.html

Yes, shingles can cause hearing loss and perhaps it won't come back. My cousin had shingles that went into her eye. She lost some of her vision from the attack. As you know, shingles follow the nerves and we have nerves everywhere. Hope the article helps

Thanks for finding that article, Kit. Super.

I'm still hoping to talk to other folks who've had hearing loss because of shingles and have found a way to treat somehow to either regain the lost hearing or to at least prevent further attacks. I've read there's a shingles vaccine, but I'm not sure how safe it would be for someone like my Mom.

Does anyone here take anti-viral meds or supplements with good results? Zeolite or L-lysine or anything?

Cheers,
Anka

Glad that I could help some. I'm not sure how safe the vaccine is either. Perhaps others will be able to help you out

Hi Kitt,

I just looked up CMT and wondered if it was related to viruses (like shingles) that use nerve pathways? Have you been tested for viruses?

There's a lot of peripheral neuropathy in Lyme patients (and I know in many other diseases including diabetes) and some are just starting to make a link to viruses as a possible cause. The accompanying nerve pain appears to be similar to herpetic nerve pain. I've had intermittent pn and nerve pain and wonder if those spells might have corresponded to virus flares when my immune system dipped. I just got tested and appear positive for HHV6 and EBV. There are others I should probably look into as well, though I'm just starting to learn about this. Wow, there's so much to learn. It helps to have resources like this.

Thanks again,
Anka

Hi Anka, CMT is the most common "inherited" neurological disorder. It is not caused by a virus. It is found world wide and in all races. It affects the peripheral nervous system not the central nervous system. There are a number of types of it. If a parent has CMT then in the type 1's and type 2's each child has a 50/50% of acquiring it. It's in the genes. There is much research being done on it. It has had a name since 1886 when Charcot-Marie-Tooth, the three doctors discovered it. By the way, Charcot also discovered ALS, MS and some others. It is a complicated disease but it is inherited and it is an atrophy not a dystrophy like MD. We are born with healthy muscles but signals can't get to the nerves very well and so the muscles atrophy. With MD people are born with diseased muscles. CMT is one of 40 diseases under the MDA "umbrella" as they say. It is often misdiagnosed as MS, polio, Fredericks Ataxia, etc. There is DNA blood testing now since 1993 for the types they can test for thru Athena Diagnostics. I believe there are 10 types they can test for now. 33 genes discovered and 44 not discovered yet.

I have done some research on Lyme Disease as well since I do live in an area where it happens. Very interesting stuff too and hope I never get it although we do have a fellow in town who got it a number of years ago. Didn't know it at the time - no bulls eye rash (you don't have to have one) but he had Lyme Disease. He ended up with a heart difibulator as it affected his heart for one thing. At any rate, I'm sure you know all of that and as you say, there is so very much to learn. Thank you for asking There is much more on CMT but too much to tell. And so much more to learn. Thanks again I did more posting on it on the MS Map forum. Just turned out that way

Thanks for the summary of CMT, Kitt. I hadn't heard of it before but now I have! I'll have to read your posts on the MS board as I'm curious about how you treat it.

Cheers,
Anka

Hi Anka, There is no treatment. You just deal with the symptoms as they come along. Try to exercise within limits and eat a healthy balanced diet. No pain, no gain is not for CMTers. Thank you

Hi Kitt, Iam curious as to how your cousin shingles started out. I was just dx with shingles and it started on my eyelid. Now I have some blisters on my farhead, nose (not the tip) and into my hair line. They are not in my eye. My eye (the white) is not red. The dr. said to call him right away if I get pain or redness in my eye. I was just wondering what eles I had to look out for. I also hear it is rare to get it in your eye.

Thanks

Hi cat265, I really don't know how her shingles started out. Although, I think they were on the side of her face. But, I was very surprised to hear that it got in her eye. I'm really not sure that it is that rare either as shingles follow nerve paths and we have nerves everywhere as you know. Sorry I can't help you as far as that but be certain to follow what your doctor said. Call him right away if you suspect anything like that.

I believe that I probably had shingles that went to my head but did not come out. That is possible too. Mine started with an itch on the outside of the ear and went on up to the head and it was the most awful pain. I remember after that for two years when a breeze would blow my hair it would hurt. It's a long story but I also experienced awful stiffness. At night I hardly could take my sweatshirt off (lifting arms up, etc.). In the A.M. there was no trouble but it would build up during the day. I never went to a doctor and I probably should have. If it wasn't shingles, it was some kind of virus for sure. Hope I never experience anything like that again. The year I had that happen was an awful stressful year. It just kept building up all year.

Don't know if I have helped you any. But keep on top of it. I always thought that they only went around a person's middle as that's what I had seen in other people. Of course, that isn't true. I do hope it all turns out for you. It should. Take care