Should I seek a second opinion from a different doctor?

[Anonymous]

So over the past year i've been noticing a difference in hearing; i can hear noise, but often it sounds garbled in one ear and i cannot understand exactly what is being said to me. I went to an audiologist and she did a full testing, but told me my hearing was fine, no loss. I took my audiogram but my friend who is a speech pathologist, upon looking, told me that it seemed as though one of my ears had hearing loss of up to 15 decibels in certain frequencies. Which, doesn't technically count as hearing loss yet, but considering I'm 21 and this happened randomly I dont know if I should seek a second opinion?

[Oliverlogan263]

Yes, I think it would be reasonable to seek a second opinion from a different audiologist/ ENT doctor in this case. A few reasons why:

1) You are experiencing ongoing difficulties understanding speech, especially out of one ear. This suggests there may be an issue beyond what standard hearing tests are picking up.

2) Your friend who is a speech pathologist, an expert in this area, reviewed your audiogram and noticed possible early indicators of asymmetric hearing loss in one ear.

3) A 15 decibel difference in hearing sensitivity between ears, especially at your young age, is unusual and warrants further investigation. Even if it's not "official" hearing loss yet, it could indicate an underlying issue.

4) Sudden changes or declines in hearing, especially in one ear, can be a sign of a medical problem that needs addressing. It's best to rule out any treatable causes.

5) A second opinion from an independent specialist can either confirm the initial diagnosis of "normal" hearing or pick up on things the first doctor missed. This would bring you peace of mind either way.

6) If hearing loss progresses over time, an early baseline from a second evaluation now would be valuable for monitoring any changes in the future.

So in summary, I do think a second opinion is worthwhile given your ongoing symptoms, your friend's feedback, and the asymmetric findings on your audiogram. Another specialist may be able to identify potential issues or risk factors that the first doctor did not. At the very least, it could reassure you that everything looks normal. I'd recommend seeking out that second opinion sooner rather than later.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[ShesRad80]

i work in healthcare, always seek a second opinion.

[Anonymous]

Did you take any of those COVID shots?

[gorydetails]

yes.