What is it?
A sudden sensorineural hearing loss is defined as a spontaneous loss of hearing in one or both ears of at least 30 dB HL across three consecutive frequencies. Hearing loss may progress rapidly over a 3 day period, or it may happen all of a sudden in the middle of your day. It is commonly reported to occur after waking up in the morning. A sudden sensorineural hearing loss can be accompanied by tinnitus, a sensation of aural fullness, and dizziness or vertigo.
What causes a sudden loss of hearing?
The etiology of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss could be due to physical or acoustic trauma, infectious disease, circulatory disorders, neurologic disorders, an autoimmune response, an acoustic neuroma, ototoxicity, or compromised vascular function.
What to do about it.
Seek medical attention right away. Doctors work closely with ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialists and audiologists to determine the etiology of the hearing loss and formulate a treatment plan. A two-week course of steroids have been proven effective in the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss but only if it is treated within a 72 hour window.
Having your hearing tested at this time is an important piece of the puzzle; an audiogram will document the severity of loss and monitor the progression.
Audiologists also play a vital role in aural rehabilitation and long term hearing health management.