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Sudden deafness (SD), is a rapid loss of hearing. SD can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical emergency.
A doctor can determine whether a person has experienced SD by conducting a hearing test. If a loss of at least 30 decibels in three connected frequencies is discovered, it is diagnosed as SD or sudden sensoryneural hearing loss (SSHL).
People with SSHL often experience dizziness or a ringing in their ears (tinnitus), or both.
Some patients recover completely without medical intervention, often within the first 3 days. Others get better slowly over a 1 or 2 week period. Although a good to excellent recovery is likely, 15 percent of those with SSHL experience a hearing loss that gets worse over time.
Possible causes include the following:
- Infectious diseases.
- Trauma, such as a head injury.
- Abnormal tissue growth.
- Immunologic diseases such as Cogan's syndrome.
- Toxic causes, such as snake bites.
- Ototoxic drugs (drugs that harm the ear).
- Circulatory problems.
- Neurologic causes such as multiple sclerosis.
- Relation to disorders such as Ménière's disease.
The most common therapy for SSHL is treatment with steroids. Steroid treatment helps some SSHL patients who also have conditions that affect the immune system, which is the body's defense against disease.
Another common method that may help some patients is a diet low in salt. Researchers believe that this method aids people with SSHL who also have Ménière's disease, a hearing and balance disorder. |
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