About 2 weeks ago I went to the doctors about a hearing problem and ended up discovering that in one of my ears I have nerve damage or something because not only is the hearing very low but also I have horrible word comprehension with that ear. I was told that there's not really anything I could do about it but the doctor wanted me to get an MRI at some point to see if there were any other problems going on that my hearing could be a sign of. He said that it was very unlikely that there would be but that I should still do it just in case. My real dilemma is that MRI's are rather costly and since he said there probably wasn't anything else wrong I don't really want my parents to pay for that (and they don't really want to either xD), so just do you think it would be that important for me to go and have this done? Like, could the nerve damage in my ear also mean that there's something else horribly wrong with me? x_x Well it's about 4:30am now so sorry if I forgot anything I meant to add, I just wanted to post this here before I went to bed so I could check for replies tomorrow.
Which doctor diagnosed your hearing loss? Was it an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist or a neurologist or was it your family doctor?
It was an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor I believe. (While I was there he cleaned out my hears then I had a hearing test.)
That's good. It sounds like they put you in the soundproof booth and tested your hearing? What the doctor was doing was determining the severity of your hearing loss and the possible source. There are two types of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive is caused usually by a foreign substance in the ear- like fluid, earwax or other things that block the ear canal. The exam that the doctor did was intended to determine if there was any obstruction in your ear that would have caused a conductive loss. The second type- sensorineural- is a little more challenging because there are several causes. Sensorineural loss is caused by damage to the structure of the ear or to the nerve that sends messages from the ear to the brain. Certain drugs can cause hearing loss, as can loud noises, certain types of infections like measles, head injury/skull fracture, tumors or sometimes there's not an apparent reason. In the absence of a known cause, the MRI rules out certain tumors that can occur in the nerve that sends signals to the brain. These are rare tumors. MRIs are expensive but they are covered by insurance. There are two things that you can do- If there is an issue about ability-to-pay, talk to the doctor and ask if the MRI is necessary in his/her opinion. Since your hearing loss is profound in that ear, he may be willing to monitor you for other signs like balance issues that coulld indicate a tumor. Or he may recommend that you get the MRI. If the doctor recommends that you get the MRI, there are financial counselors available at hospitals and outpatient facilities that perform MRIs. You may be eligible for public or private assistance programs or the facility may be willing to work out a payment plan that helps reduce the cost and pay for the test over time.
