Sudden Deafness

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing
Sudden deafness can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days
It should be considered a medical emergency and a person who experiences SSHL should visit a doctor immediately

A doctor can determine whether a person has experienced SSHL by conducting a normal hearing test
If a loss of at least 30 decibels in three connected frequencies is discovered, it is diagnosed as SSHL

Hearing loss affects only one ear in 9 out of 10 people who experience SSHL
Many people notice it when they wake up in the morning – others may first notice it when they try to use the deafened ear, such as when they make a phone call
Still others notice a loud, alarming “pop” just before their hearing disappears
People with SSHL often experience dizziness or a ringing in their ears (tinnitus), or both
Some patients recover completely without medical intervention, often within the first 3 days – others get better slowly over a 1 or 2 week period

It can affect anyone, but for unknown reasons it happens most often to people between the ages of 30 and 60
Depending on the cause a good to excellent recovery is likely, 15 % of those with SSHL experience a hearing loss that gets worse over time

Though there are many possible causes of sudden deafness, it is rare for a specific cause to be precisely identified
Only 10 to 15 % of patients with SSHL know what caused their loss
Normally, diagnosis is based on the patient’s medical history

People who experience SSHL should see a doctor promptly – finding medical help fast increases the chances for recovery
Several treatments are used for SSHL, but researchers are not yet certain which is the best for any one cause
If a specific cause is identified, antibiotics may be needed, or a doctor may advise a patient to stop taking any medicine that can irritate or damage the ear
The most common therapy for SSHL, especially in cases with an unknown cause, is treatment with steroids
Steroids are used to treat many different disorders and usually work to reduce inflammation, decrease swelling, and help the body fight illness
Steroid treatment helps some SSHL patients who also have conditions that affect the immune system, which is the body’s defence against disease
Another common method that may help some patients is a low sodium diet – researchers believe that this method aids people with SSHL who also have Ménière’s disease

Sudden deafness