Sudden Hearing Loss

Did it ever happen to you that, you woke up in the morning and you realized that you are not able to hear from one ear, or both. One may think that it is something which happens normally after one wakes up in the morning. Well, it is not something which can be ignored. This condition is known as hearing loss. Needless to explain, it is a condition in which you lose your hearing ability and it is not necessary that it must happen only after waking up in the morning. Over here, we shall find out more about this hearing inability.

Sudden Hearing Loss

Hearing loss, simply, is a person's inability to hear. It can also lead to permanent hearing loss over a period of time. It is said to occur when a person cannot pick up sounds which are at a decibel level of 30 or more, in three connected frequencies, over a period of three days. This means that to test positive for loss of hearing, you've got to experience hearing loss consecutively for 3 days. It can be diagnosed by a doctor after conducting few hearing tests. Decibel is the unit used for measuring sound, and frequencies are used to determine the difference between two or more sound waves.

Causes

Sudden hearing loss syndrome is known as a mysterious syndrome, as most of the time, doctors are uncertain of the cause. It is not a disease really, but then it is a warning of permanent hearing loss in future. It is a gradual loss of hearing. If you want to avoid permanent hearing loss, then you must opt for immediate medical attention. There are many reasons why it may happen. Since it is a hearing inability, it definitely is because of an ear problem. Some key causes of this abrupt hearing loss can be:

• Tumor
• Trauma
• Meningitis
• Viral or bacterial infection
• Temporal bone fracture
• Sudden blow to the inner ear or head injury
• Circulatory problems within the ear (no blood flow in the inner ear, blood clot, thin blood, etc.)
• Changes in barometric pressure when flying or scuba diving
• Meniere's disease (Disease on inner ear which disrupts hearing abilities)
• Acoustic neuroma (tumor or non-cancerous growth near inner ear)

Most of the time, sudden loss of hearing may occur because of a viral infection.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hearing loss are relatively easier to understand. Like I mentioned before, most people experience it after they wake up the morning, and realize their inability to hear. They also realize it when they are not able to hear with one ear over the phone. Mentioned below are few of the symptoms that might be the result of the inability of hearing in one ear or two ears.

• Depression
• Ringing noise in the ear
• Ear pain, irritation, itching
• Tinnitus (buzzing in the ears)
• Ear fluid or pus coming out from the ear
• Vertigo (the feeling of being in motion when there is no real motion)
• Listening to music or keeping the television at a higher volume

Treatment

Since hearing loss can be severe, it must be treated immediately. The treatment of hearing loss mostly depends upon the cause of the hearing loss. The patient can be given vasodilators. These are drugs which help improve blood supply to cochlea, which is a part of the inner ear. Carbogens also help to treat sudden loss of hearing. It is a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide which is used for improving the air and blood flow inside the ear. Diuretic therapies are also given to treat it. In few cases, doctors may also use steroids for treatment. The doctor may prescribe the use a hearing aid for some time to cure it. It is really very important to treat hearing loss in children, as at their age, they may not be able to express any bodily defects precisely. Hence, it is crucial for you to find out if the hearing abilities of your child are proper.

The symptoms of sudden hearing loss are fairly easy to recognize. If you think that you too are experiencing something similar, then it is highly recommended to seek immediate medical attention. Or like I said before, if it is not treated medically, it can lead to permanent hearing loss. Take care!