What is Sudden Hearing Loss?
Sudden hearing loss or acute hearing loss is a phenomenon where you lose hearing instantly or deteriorate in a short period. In most cases, as our hearing deteriorates gradually, our brain adapts and hence does not take notice of the change; however, people notice the change when the onset of hearing loss is sudden.
People who experience sudden hearing loss often describe the following changes.
Worlds get suddenly quieter
Echoing or blooming of sounds
Blocked feeling in the ear or ears
Numb feeling around the ear
Tinnitus
Distortion of sounds
Becomes sensitive to sounds
Dizziness/vertigo
What are the causes of sudden hearing loss?
The causes of sudden hearing loss can be divided into two categories.
Here are the lists of the most common causes of sudden hearing loss.
OUTER AND MIDDLE EAR
Wax of foreign body blocking the ear canal
Perforated ear drum
Trauma
and more
INNER EAR (Sudden sensorineural hearing loss)
Idiopathic (unknown)
Viral/ bacterial infection
Acoustic shock
Trauma
Tumour
Vascular
Neurological
Barotrauma
and more
How is sudden hearing loss diagnosed?
When it comes to sudden hearing loss, timing is of the essence. A visit to the hearing clinic will give you the diagnosis instantly. An audiologist will check the ear canal with an otoscope to ensure no obstruction or damage to the eardrum. Once the structure of the middle ears and ear canals are clear, the hearing assessment will be the final test to make a diagnosis.
After having a cold or bad hay fever, people often experience reduced hearing, which generally resolves on its own after some time. Due to this reason, people sometimes wait it out, but the effect of delay in treatment can be detrimental. We recommend visiting a hearing clinic near you for a quick assessment if unsure.
To make an appointment with us, please give us a call or send us an email.
How do we manage sudden hearing loss?
Management of sudden hearing loss is different depending on the cause.
If the cause of the sudden hearing loss is from the middle and outer ear, there is no urgency and a referral to ENT is required for a treatment plan.
Suppose the cause of the sudden hearing loss is from the inner ear (Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss). In that case, we urgently refer our client to a GP for a prescription of Prednisone and a referral to an ENT for further management. It's essential to diagnose a sudden sensorineural hearing loss as soon as possible, as the effectiveness of the medication may vary depending on the individual and timing. Other than this, some people undergo intratympanic steroid injection in the ear drum or a hyperbaric chamber.
