The loss of hearing ability makes the life of a person difficult while causing hindrance in daily chores. The age factor plays a major role but various other factors are responsible for the same. Sudden hearing loss or sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a condition that is noticed by people once they wake up in the morning. It can develop at a rapid speed after several hours and days. It can be mild, severe, or can be a permanent disability. A pop sound is heard in the ear before the hearing loss. The symptoms of sudden hearing loss start getting severe with time.
A majority of people got confused with ear wax build-up in the inner ear and ignore it which leads to sudden hearing loss. Ignorance of the symptoms at the initial stage makes the case complex leading to tinnitus.
A survey reports that tinnitus is accompanied by Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in 70% of patients. Whereas 50 % of patients of Sudden sensorineural hearing loss are diagnosed with vertigo.
As soon as the symptoms start emerging, it is recommended to seek medical help immediately on an emergency basis. Your doctor will assess the symptoms of sudden hearing loss and start the treatment as early as possible to prevent you from permanent disability hearing loss. Your doctor will examine your ear while carrying a hearing test. The chances of complete recovery from the hearing loss are diminished when sudden sensorineural hearing loss is accompanied by vertigo. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common age-related hearing loss which makes recovery impossible but mild sensorineural hearing loss can be treated if medical help is taken immediately. The younger the patient faster is the recovery.
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What is a Sudden Hearing Loss?
Damage in the hair cells that are present in your inner ear or damage to the nerve, that crosses from the inner ear to the brain while carrying signals to the brain leads to sudden sensorineural hearing loss. If the age factor is responsible, it is a permanent loss of hearing ability as hair cells can’t be repaired once they are damaged. Age factor is one of the most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss in people as the hair cells in our ears stop functioning properly as you grow old.
Hearing loss in older age is a common concern but leaving it untreated is not a good idea though. To lead a better quality of life and ensure your safety, consulting an expert health care provider is the right move. He would suggest the best standard treatment of hearing loss after diagnosing the underlying causes.
Causes of Sudden Hearing Loss
Aging, exposure to loud sound, diseases such as mumps, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, ménières disease, etc. viral infections, side effects of certain drugs, tumors, Head trauma,
Immunological disorders, Vascular disorders that disrupt the blood flow to the ear, and developmental abnormalities are some of the common causes of sudden hearing loss in a patient. Treating the same on time can combat the issue. An expert neurologist would suggest the right treatment of hearing loss, depending on the cause to ease the issue.
Treatment of sudden hearing loss
If one has experienced hearing loss due to age factor than its a permanent loss of hearing ability. Doctors will suggest some measures to ease the issue while making it easy to lead a happy life. If a person is diagnosed with other responsible causes that lead to such a condition, the right treatments to treat the same are advised by the doctors. Let’s have a look at some treatments of sudden hearing loss advised by doctors.
Steroids injection
It is one of the most common treatments for sudden hearing loss prescribed by doctors, especially when the case is unknown. Steroids help in reducing inflammation and swelling and help the body to fight illness. Intratympanic steroid injection improves the hearing ability in the patient. Steroid injection is given to the patient by doctors in the ear through a painless technique. Earlier steroids were given in the form of pills but it is proved through a clinical trial that injection of steroids is as effective as oral steroids. Taking an Intratympanic injection of steroids in the middle ear is prescribed by doctors to improve hearing ability. It is recommended to take Steroids injection as soon as you start discovering the symptoms for effective results, after the advice of the doctor.
Antibiotics to treat hearing loss
If the underlying cause of sudden hearing loss is identified by the doctor he would prescribe certain antibiotics to treat the same. If the prescribed drug has certain side effects or proof toxic for the ear, your doctor would recommend switching to another medicine. If your inner ear is attacked by an autoimmune condition, the doctor may prescribe medicines accordingly that can suppress the immune system.
Cochlear implants
If steroids and antibiotics didn’t work well to treat hearing loss, it will be treated with cochlear implants. Severe hearing loss can be treated well with cochlear implants as it directly stimulates auditory connection in the ear. Cochlear implants are electronic hearing device that is surgically implanted directly into the inner ear. An expert medical professional will advise on the pros and cons before the implantation of Cochlear implants.
Hearing aids
If a person is experiencing hearing loss in both ears and all the treatments fail to treat the same, your doctor may recommend using hearing aids to amplify sound. Hearing aids are suggested by doctors when the case is severe. Hearing aids can be customized as per the specific need of the patient which amplify the sound you want to hear while minimizing those you do not want to hear. It makes it easy for people to amplify their hearing ability in mild to moderate cases of hearing loss. Hearing aids can be worn behind the ear or in the ear by the patient, it depends on the severity of hearing loss and personal choice. If a person is diagnosed with hearing loss in both ears, wearing two hearing aids in both ears will resolve the issue.