If You Have Sudden Hearing Loss…It’s an Emergency!
SUDDEN SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
WHAT IS IT? It is not commonly known that a sudden and a significant loss of hearing in one or both ears should be treated as an emergency even though the annual incidence in the US is approximately 1-6 case per 5000 people.
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNL) is the rapid onset of a reduction in hearing usually over a 72-hour period. It is called SSNL because of it’s rapid onset and the fact that it affects the inner ear which is the neural portion of the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected, and it can be accompanied by vertigo (dizziness) and/or tinnitus. It is a serious medical condition and should be treated that way; the sooner you get medical treatment the better the outcome.
CAUSES. The cause of sudden sensorineural hearing loss is unknown in 90% but it has been linked to lime disease, autoimmune disease, acoustic neuromas and multiple sclerosis. It is also thought that interrupted blood flow to the inner ear caused by a swelling or blockage can be involved and in many cases, it happens after a bacterial or viral infection.
TREATMENT. If you suspect sudden hearing loss in yourself or someone you know you should seek medical help right away. It is considered an emergency. A complete audiological examination performed by an audiologist will help to diagnose it along with a medical workup by an otologist. MRI and blood tests might also be required.
The most common treatment is a course of corticosteroids such as oral prednisone and/or steroid injections directly into the ear. Most people recover some degree of the hearing loss while a small percentage of people will have symptoms that worsen over time. If your hearing doesn’t recover or you are left with permanent hearing loss, then further help might be needed to manage your hearing loss.
TO RECAP, SSNL loss is a medical health emergency. It is hearing loss that happens very quickly over 3 days. The inner ear is affected, and the sooner treatment is sought the better the chance hearing will improve or return to the baseline level. Share, pin or save the All Things Hear Checklist for SSNL.
