Ear Problems (37 yr old Male living in China)
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:03 am
Hi All,
I was very pleased to find this site. Many posts that can help. I have found the net short of information for Cleft Adults.
I'm 37, married to a Chinese, and living in Shenyang China. I've been here nine years and have always wondered whether I'd last here due to problems I think may be associated to my cleft. In the UK I would trust the hospitals more but it gets more difficult for me to go back to the UK and seek treatment. I have a three year old daughter here.
My problems with my ears began about 6 years back. I noticed muffled hearing in one ear and it never came back properly. Then, about a year ago the other one went the same and now I have problems hearing. I'm covering it well. At work, I don't always understand what colleagues say to me without asking for repetition. In rooms I struggle to keep up with conversation especially if people speak in a low tone- you get the picture. I need my ears as I teach and examine English. I can hear students well enough to work with it now but I fear it will get worse and I won't. I currently have an ear infection (they have been worse over the past year) and my hearing is poor when people speak quietly. Chinese students (shy ones) often do.
I have a cleft and have had no operation since a rhinoplasty in my mid twenties. I've said to my wife I want to get a CT and some proper tests in a hospital and if need be go back to England for an operation. If the operation is simple I'd do it here. I don't know why i am assuming I need an operation but something tells me I need something! It may be possible here.
Are there others with this problem? Also my breathing has been a problem. I just started inhalers for asthma and I feel better at work (more energy). I think I suffered panic attacks and breathing got worse. I think my (mild) asthma is shown by these attacks. I have, I think, some apnea at night.
I'm going to go through the posts tonight on this board but was wondering if anyone had some insight. Perhaps people have seen these symptoms and did something to get better. Maybe they will never get better. Problem is, if my hearing gets much worse I won't be able to teach and that is my livelihood here.
Neil.
I was very pleased to find this site. Many posts that can help. I have found the net short of information for Cleft Adults.
I'm 37, married to a Chinese, and living in Shenyang China. I've been here nine years and have always wondered whether I'd last here due to problems I think may be associated to my cleft. In the UK I would trust the hospitals more but it gets more difficult for me to go back to the UK and seek treatment. I have a three year old daughter here.
My problems with my ears began about 6 years back. I noticed muffled hearing in one ear and it never came back properly. Then, about a year ago the other one went the same and now I have problems hearing. I'm covering it well. At work, I don't always understand what colleagues say to me without asking for repetition. In rooms I struggle to keep up with conversation especially if people speak in a low tone- you get the picture. I need my ears as I teach and examine English. I can hear students well enough to work with it now but I fear it will get worse and I won't. I currently have an ear infection (they have been worse over the past year) and my hearing is poor when people speak quietly. Chinese students (shy ones) often do.
I have a cleft and have had no operation since a rhinoplasty in my mid twenties. I've said to my wife I want to get a CT and some proper tests in a hospital and if need be go back to England for an operation. If the operation is simple I'd do it here. I don't know why i am assuming I need an operation but something tells me I need something! It may be possible here.
Are there others with this problem? Also my breathing has been a problem. I just started inhalers for asthma and I feel better at work (more energy). I think I suffered panic attacks and breathing got worse. I think my (mild) asthma is shown by these attacks. I have, I think, some apnea at night.
I'm going to go through the posts tonight on this board but was wondering if anyone had some insight. Perhaps people have seen these symptoms and did something to get better. Maybe they will never get better. Problem is, if my hearing gets much worse I won't be able to teach and that is my livelihood here.
Neil.