Hearing loss has a reputation for advancing slowly. This can make the symptoms difficult to detect. (After all, you’re simply turning up the volume on your TV now and then, it’s nothing to be concerned about, right?) That’s normally the situation, yes, but not always. It turns out hearing loss can also happen abruptly and without much warning.
When our health suddenly changes, it tends to get our attention (one might even describe the feeling as “alarm”). For example, if your hair falls out a little bit at a time, it’s no big deal, you’re just going bald! But if all of your hair fell out overnight, you would likely feel compelled to make a doctor’s appointment as soon as you can (and rightfully so).
When you suddenly develop hearing loss, it’s the same thing. When this takes place, acting fast is crucial.
Sudden hearing loss – what is it?
Long-term hearing loss is more prevalent than sudden hearing loss or SSHL for short. But sudden hearing loss isn’t exactly rare, either. Every year, 1 in 5000 people experience SSHL.
Here are some symptoms of sudden hearing loss:
- The loss of 30dB or more in terms of your hearing. That is, the world sounds 30dB quieter from whatever your earlier baseline had been. You won’t be capable of measuring this by yourself, it’s something we will diagnose. However, it will be noticeable.
- In 9 out of 10 cases, sudden hearing loss impacts only one ear. Having said that, it is possible for SSHL to affect both ears.
- Some individuals notice a loud “pop” before their hearing starts to fade. But this is not always the situation. It’s possible to experience SSHL without hearing this pop.
- Sudden deafness occurs very rapidly as the name indicates. This generally means that sudden hearing loss develops over a matter of hours or days. As a matter of fact, most individuals wake up in the morning questioning what’s wrong with their ears! Or, they may take a phone call and wonder why they can’t hear anything on the other end.
- It might seem as if your ear is plugged up. Or there may be a ringing or buzzing in some cases.
So, is sudden hearing loss permanent? Well, around half of everyone who experiences SSHL will get better within a couple of weeks. However, it’s significant to note that one key to success is prompt treatment. So you will need to come see us for treatment as soon as possible. You should schedule an appointment within 72 hours of the onset of your symptoms.
The best thing to do, in most situations, is to treat SSHL as a medical emergency. The longer you wait, the higher your chance of sudden hearing loss becoming irreversible.
So… what causes sudden hearing loss?
Here are some of the leading causes of sudden hearing loss:
- Autoimmune disease: In some circumstances, your immune system starts to think that your inner ear is a threat. Sudden hearing loss can absolutely be caused by this autoimmune disease.
- Genetic predisposition: In some instances, a greater risk of sudden deafness can be passed down from parents to children.
- Illnesses: Diseases including mumps, measles, meningitis, and multiple sclerosis have all been known to trigger SSHL, for significantly different reasons. So if a disease has a vaccine, it’s a smart plan to get immunized.
- A reaction to drugs: Common drugs like aspirin are included in this list. This list can also include some antibiotics, like streptomycin and gentamicin, and other common medicines including cisplatin and quinine.
- Problems with your blood flow: Things like blocked cochlear arteries and high platelet counts are included in this category.
- Reaction to pain medication: Your risk of developing sudden hearing loss is increased by excessive use of opioids.
- Head trauma: A traumatic brain injury can do much to disrupt the communication between your brain and your ears.
- Being continuously exposed to loud music or other loud sound: For most individuals, loud noise will cause a gradual decline in hearing. But for some, that decline in hearing may occur suddenly.
The majority of the time, we will be better able to help you formulate an effective treatment if we can ascertain what type of sudden hearing loss you’re dealing with. But this isn’t always the case. 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 action should you take if you wake up one morning and discover that you can’t hear anything? There are some things that you need to do right away. Don’t just try to wait it out. That’s not a good idea! You should wait no longer than 72 hours to get treatment. Calling us for immediate treatment is the smartest plan. We’ll be in the best position to help you identify what’s wrong and how to deal with it.
While you’re at our office, you will probably undertake an audiogram to figure out the degree of hearing loss you’re experiencing (this is a completely non-invasive test where you wear some headphones and raise your hand when you hear a beep). We can make certain you don’t have a blockage or a conductive problem.
For most individuals, the first round of treatment will likely include steroids. For some people, these steroids may be injected directly into the ear. In other situations, oral medication might be enough. SSHL of numerous root causes (or no known cause) can be effectively treated with steroids. You may need to use a medication to suppress your immune response if your SSHL is triggered by an autoimmune disease.
Have you or somebody you know suddenly lost hearing? Call us today to schedule a hearing exam.
