We normally think of hearing loss as something that advances slowly. It can be difficult to detect the symptoms because of this. (After all, you’re only turning up the volume on your television once in a while, it’s nothing to worry about, right?) Sometimes that’s true but often, it isn’t. It turns out hearing loss can also happen suddenly and without much warning.
It can be rather alarming when the condition of your health abruptly changes. When people’s hair falls out gradually over a really long period of time, for example, they would probably chalk it up to aging and simply assume they’re balding. But you would most likely want to make an appointment with your doctor if you woke up one morning and all your hair had fallen out.
When you suddenly lose your ability to hear, it’s the same thing. There are some really good reasons why acting quickly is a good idea!
Sudden hearing loss – what is it?
Sudden hearing loss (sometimes called sudden deafness or sudden sensorineural hearing loss, or just SSHL for short) isn’t usually as prevalent as the longer-term kind of hearing loss most individuals experience. But it isn’t really uncommon for people to experience sudden hearing loss. Approximately 1 in 5000 people per year are afflicted by SSHL.
The symptoms of sudden hearing loss commonly include the following:
- The loss of 30dB or more with regards to your hearing. The outside world sounds 30dB quieter than when you had healthy hearing. You’ll definitely notice the difference, but you will need our assistance to measure it.
- Some people notice a loud “pop” before their hearing starts to fade. But this is not always the situation. SSHL isn’t always coupled with this popping sound.
- Sudden hearing loss will impact only one ear in 9 of 10 cases. But it is possible for both ears to be affected by SSHL.
- It might seem like your ear is plugged up. Or, in some cases, a ringing or buzzing in the ear.
- Sudden hearing loss happens very quickly as the name indicates. This generally means that sudden hearing loss develops over a matter of hours or days. In most circumstances, the person will wake up and their hearing will suddenly be impaired. Or, they may take a phone call and question why they can’t hear anything on the other end.
If you experience SSHL, you may be wondering: is sudden deafness permanent? Well, about half of everyone who experiences SSHL will recover within two weeks. But prompt treatment is a big key to success. So you will need to come see us for treatment right away. After you first detect the symptoms, you should wait no longer than 72 hours.
In most circumstances, it’s a good idea to treat sudden hearing loss as a medical emergency. Your chances of sudden hearing loss becoming irreversible increases the longer you wait.
So… what triggers sudden hearing loss?
Here are a few of the biggest causes of sudden hearing loss:
- A reaction to drugs: Common medications like aspirin are included in this list. This list can also include some antibiotics, including streptomycin and gentamicin, and other prevalent medicines including cisplatin and quinine.
- Illnesses: Diseases such as mumps, measles, meningitis, and multiple sclerosis have all been known to cause SSHL, for significantly different reasons. This is a great reason to get immunized against diseases for which there is a vaccine.
- Repeated exposure to loud noise, such as music: Hearing will decline slowly due to ongoing exposure to loud sound for most people. But there may be some situations where that hearing loss will occur abruptly.
- Reaction to pain medication: Your risk of developing sudden hearing loss is elevated by excessive use of opioids.
- Autoimmune disease: Your immune system can, in some instances, start to view your inner ear as a threat. This kind of autoimmune disease can easily lead to SSHL.
- Genetic predisposition: Genetic predisposition can in some cases be responsible for sudden hearing loss.
- Problems with your blood flow: Things like obstructed cochlear arteries and high platelet counts are included in this category.
- Head trauma: The communication between your ears and your brain can be interrupted by a traumatic brain injury.
Most of the time, we will be better capable of helping you develop an effective treatment if we can ascertain what type of sudden hearing loss you’re dealing with. But this isn’t always the situation. Numerous types of SSHL are addressed similarly, so determining the exact cause isn’t always necessary for effective treatment.
What should you do if you experience sudden hearing loss?
So what should you do if you wake up one day and find that you can’t hear anything? Well, there are some important steps you should take as soon as possible. First of all, you should not just wait for it to clear on its own. That’s a bad plan! Rather, you should find treatment within 72 hours. Calling us for immediate treatment is the best plan. We’ll be in the best position to help you determine what’s wrong and how to deal with it.
While you’re at our office, you may undertake an audiogram to establish the level of hearing loss you’re experiencing (this is the examination where we make you put on headphones and raise your hand when you hear a beep, it’s entirely non-invasive). We can make sure you don’t have a blockage or a conductive issue.
For most patients, the first course of treatment will most likely include steroids. For some people, these steroids might be injected directly into the ear. In other circumstances, oral medication might be enough. Steroids have been known to be very effective in treating SSHL with a large number of root causes (or with no known root cause). You may need to take a medication to suppress your immune response if your SSHL is due to an autoimmune disease.
Have you or someone you know suddenly lost hearing? Give us a call today to schedule a hearing evaluation.