Sudden Hearing Loss

These past few weeks have been strange for me.  I've seen 3 women who presented with sudden hearing loss.  There is absolutely no connection between these women; one is 87, one 34 and the other 16.  But they all woke up one morning not being able to hear.  In the older 2 case, only one ear was affected, but in the teenager it was both ears that seemingly bottomed out.

Sudden hearing loss isn't unheard of.  We see it. I'd say we see it a few times a year. But to see 3 in a matter of 3 weeks is rather crazy.  But, it makes me want to shout out what needs to be done in cases of sudden hearing loss.  Far too often things are just pushed aside.  You think eh, it's probably just ear wax. Your family doctor might treat you for an ear infection.  Odds are, however, with sudden severe loss, it's NOT infection.  And in fact, sudden hearing loss deserves IMMEDIATE attention by a specialist.

You see, in some cases, treatment given by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) physician within the first 48-72 hours can reverse the hearing loss.  When treatment is administered after that, your chances of recovery drop to nearly zero.

If this happens to you or someone you love, seek immediate help.  CALL US!  You need a hearing test to determine the type and degree of loss. Then we should be able to direct you to an ENT for appropriate treatment.

For more information click the link below.

National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders