What Causes Sudden Hearing Loss?
by Admin
Posted on 03-10-2022 09:07 AM
Sudden onset sensorineural
hearing
loss (ssnhl) is frequently seen by otolaryngologists. The exact pathophysiology of the disease is still unknown, with the most likely causative factor being following a viral infection. Immediate steroids are the best treatment to improve prognosis. Despite a plethora of papers in the literature describing ssnhl, there are only a few reported cases of hearing loss following covid-19, none of which have been reported in the uk. This paper presents the first uk case of ssnhl following covid-19.
Physical examination and imaging excluded any other cause of hearing loss. A literature review showed that four other cases have been previously described.
Initially ascertain which ear is affected, or if the loss is bilateral. Bilateral ssnhl is extremely rare, but can be caused by autoimmune disease, syphilis, trauma, neoplasia and vascular causes. Clarify that it was a truly sudden hearing loss – a gradual loss may be associated with a pre-existing disorder, such as ménière’s disease. Pre-existing disease in the affected ear may provide clues to the current diagnosis. Any activity being undertaken at the time of the hearing loss may provide relevant information. Water may precipitate wax impaction. Trauma (physical or acoustic) can result in ossicular discontinuity (chl), or snhl in cases of extreme noise exposure or brain damage.
Sudden hearing loss (shl) is defined as greater than 30 db hearing reduction, over at least three contiguous frequencies, occurring over 72 hours or less. It occurs most frequently in the 30 to 60 year age group and affects males and females equally. Although called sudden, it seems unlikely that hearing loss is abrupt but rather it probably evolves over a few hours. Shl can affect different people very differently. Shl is usually unilateral (that is, it affects only one ear); and is often accompanied by tinnitus, aural fullness, vertigo, or any combination.
Sudden hearing loss involves an unexplained and sudden drop in hearing in one or both ears and can happen to anyone at any age. If you experience sudden hearing loss, we recommend that you go to a&e or an urgent care ent clinic as soon as possible.
Types of Sudden Hearing Loss
Some people go through life enjoying conversations with family and friends until one day—often without any warning at all—they wake up deaf in one ear. Suddenly, the pleasures of talking on the telephone and conversing with co-workers become problematic.
The sudden loss of hearing in one ear, plus the frustration of dealing with persistent tinnitus in that ear, markedly degrades the quality of their life. You can help these patients deal with the ugly problems created by sudden hearing loss by:
understanding the latest treatments;
educating people regarding the urgency of being treated;
keeping good records so each patient's hearing baseline can be established accurately;.
Sudden hearing loss – aka sudden sensorineural hearing loss (sshl) is a medical emergency. It’s sudden deafness that occurs rapidly – sometimes all at once, or over 2-3 days. In 90% of cases of sshl, the hearing affects just one ear. It’s more common if you’re in your 40s or 50s. Patients will often describe waking up feeling deaf in one ear or hearing a loud pop or noise and then their hearing on that side is gone. Sometimes it can be accompanied by ringing in the ears or feeling dizzy. What causes sudden hearing loss? there can be many causes of sudden deafness, such as blast trauma and pressure trauma from diving, drugs which ‘ototoxic’ and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.