Sudden Hearing Loss Treatment: Know Your Options

Hearing loss is, in many cases, a natural consequence of aging. But sudden hearing loss, also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), can occur in anyone. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, some potential causes of SSHL include head trauma, infection, and autoimmune diseases. Here are some options for sudden hearing loss treatment.

Find the Cause

“The most important thing with sudden hearing loss is to establish the cause,” Edmund Farrar, MD, and founder of the hearing health organization Oto Health, tells ishonest Connect to Care.

“This is often something reversible, and the treatment can be quite simple. For example, earwax could cause sudden hearing loss, and can be treated with olive oil drops and then ear syringing (where warm water is squirted into the ear),” Farrar says. In more difficult cases a microscope and specialized tools might be required. More complicated cases of ear wax requiring this equipment are typically taken care of by Ear, Nose and Throat Doctors.

Steroids

The article notes that you'll have your best chances for improvement during the first two weeks of steroid treatment, and the chances of successful treatment diminish after 6 weeks.

Your treating physician should administer oral steroids and give you an urgent referral to an otolaryngologist so that you can be evaluated for follow-up intratympanic (in-ear) steroid injections.

Oral steroids can have side effects like an upset stomach or insomnia, while injected medical steroids don’t have any obvious side effects except the small amount of pain during the injection.

Surgery

If the cause of the hearing loss is determined to be a damaged eardrum, Farrar advises that surgery might be appropriate. “If a burst eardrum has caused the hearing loss, and if it does not heal in a few weeks, then your doctor might refer you to a specialist to discuss the possibility of a surgical repair,” Farrar says.

The seriousness of hearing loss can vary, from struggling to hear conversations if there is background noise to not being able to hear anyone unless they are speaking loudly. According to Farrar, if you have concerns about possible hearing loss, you should seek treatment immediately. Every day of delay increases the chance of temporary hearing loss becoming permanent.

Hearing Loss Can Be Treated and Managed.

In many cases, hearing loss is a treatable condition. It is worth taking the time out to get the answers and treatment you or your loved one deserves. Don’t wait. Start today.

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