Los Angeles ? Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh announced that he has lost all hearing in his left ear and 80 percent of the hearing in his right ear. He has since been diagnosed with autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED), and is receiving treatment from the House Ear Institute and a team of doctors in Los Angeles.

As its name suggests, AIED is an autoimmune disorder in which the body?s antibodies attack the inner ear, and the symptoms include the sudden onset of hearing loss (for a review of current AIED research being conducted at the Mayo Clinic, see the September 2001 HR, p. 26). Limbaugh reported that his hearing had steadily deteriorated since May when he discovered that he couldn?t hear anything in his left ear. He says he can recognize sound, but has a hard time identifying it in his right ear. Limbaugh is using hearing aids to supplement his residual hearing.

Autoimmune disorders, of which there are about 80 different varieties, are generally difficult to diagnose and treat. Typically, people presenting with AIED are treated with corticosteroids like prednisone, which sometimes slows or stops the progression of hearing loss, and even allows the patient to regain some hearing. However, prednisone is a strong steroid that can cause other types of serious health problems, including kidney damage. More recently, physicians have been using drugs like methotrexate and/or Enbrel with the aim of providing a longer, safer treatment course for those patients, like Limbaugh, whose hearing responds favorably to prednisone. Doctors have been administering a ?cocktail? of these drugs to Limbaugh.

Although hearing tests showed no improvement in his condition, he has reported what appear to be hopeful signs, including being able to conduct one-on-one conversations, which were impossible for him previously.

Many autoimmune and connective tissue disorders have associations with sensorineural hearing loss, reports the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Assn. (AARDA), including Cogan?s syndrome, Meniere?s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Limbaugh has stated he will not be an advocate for hearing health care. ?I do not intend to become a symbol,? he told the Associated Press (Oct. 25). ?I will not be doing public service announcements for the deaf or disabled.? In July, Limbaugh signed a record eight-year, $285 million contract with Premiere Radio Networks.

Copyright © 2001 CurAnt Communications,
an MWC/Allied Healthcare Group Company. All rights reserved

Sucks to be Rush right about now...

Just goes to show you that you can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have your health you don't have anything.

Hearing....285 million....hearing....285 million....hearing....285 million.....

Hmmmm.....

Somehow I don't hear a lot of sympathy in that story, or from some of you!

Eric The(When'sTheLastTime[u]You[/u]WereListenedToBy22MillionAmericans?)Hun[>]:)]

Imagine, never needing ear protection again!

[;D]

WL



Hope he gets some sort of replacements for hearing, could happen soon.

Rush really cant control the 'health' of his hearing.  I think he does have everything.  He had a new found passion for his job.  Personally I think his program was lagging a bit about a year ago, with his hearing problems I think it had gotten better.  Loosing you hearing would suck but I think Rush has allowed the good to come out of it and is doing a great job.  He said he has scheduled for a cochlear implant.  

Well, thankfully Rush likes himself enough to get better. Sometimes if you don't like yourself you just never get better.

Gosh, I can hear all them comsymps now saying "payback's a bitch."