Temporary hearing loss in one ear for a few seconds
Have you had a hearing loss in a few seconds?
Have you heard of a title called Ear Stroke?
Here we are going to talk about ear strokes and sudden hearing loss caused by problems with the inner ear system.
Doctors use the term SSHL for cases of sudden hearing loss in a few seconds. If you want to find out more about this event, read on.
What you will read next:
Introduction
Sudden hearing loss in one ear that occurs suddenly in a few seconds or days, or sshl for short, is sometimes referred to as a stroke or sudden loss of hearing or deafness due to a disorder of the inner ear system.
Ear strokes usually occur quickly, suddenly, and usually unilaterally.
Sudden Unilateral Hearing Loss in Seconds or Days the main sign presented by people with the above problem is that often in the morning when they wake up they find that their hearing is lower than the night before. Significantly, or other affected people notice this change in hearing when they want to use only that ear to hear, for example, when they want to talk on the phone with the same ear.
People with strokes often have symptoms such as:
- The sound of the doorbell
- Lightness of the head
- Vertigo
- They also felt full in their ears.
- The unfortunate thing is that unfortunately people who suffer from ear strokes do not see a doctor in the early hours. They think that their hearing loss is due to:
- Sensitivities
- Infections or congestion of the ear mass
And they do not consider an emergency visit necessary.
Here we want to emphasize that the onset of sshl symptoms is an emergency and should be referred to a doctor as soon as possible. What happens during sshl.
Studies show that more than 50% of people with ear strokes regain all or part of their hearing in about one to two weeks, but still people who are not diagnosed immediately and receive medical treatment they do not have difficulty hearing and returning.
What is the most common age for ear strokes and sudden hearing loss?
The disorder can occur at any age, but adults in the late 1940s and early 1950s are more likely to have the condition.
The number of people and the exact number of people suffering from ear strokes is much higher than the above, because many cases are not diagnosed at all because the patient does not go to the medical center to be registered.
What causes ear strokes?
There is a wide range of problems that can affect the ear and cause sudden hearing loss, but we must say that doctors say that in 10% of cases it occurs.
The probable cause of a stroke is also identified. Some of the factors that can cause a stroke are as follows:
- Infections Traumas to the head and neck
- Skull traumas
- Autoimmune disorders
- Blood flow disorders
- Neurological diseases such as MS
- Internal ear disorders such as autoimmune diseases
- Taking medications during chemotherapy
- Or taking some antibiotics
Most of the factors mentioned above do not cause hearing loss, and only 10% of cases have a known cause. In this 10% examination of the medical condition and accompanying symptoms, the physician can determine the cause of the underlying condition. Due to the unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, the underlying cause can also be raised.
For example, if a person's hearing loss occurs in only one ear, a tumor of the auditory nerve or acoustic Norinoma may also be a differential diagnosis. Tumors cause unilateral hearing loss, but if the hearing loss is due to a bilateral stroke, such as more general illnesses such as autoimmune disorders, they should be included in the discharge list.
Diagnosis
When you or those around you have a sudden and obvious hearing loss on one side or both sides, you should see a doctor. Get a detailed history of signs and symptoms, plus a history of medication. Helps to reach the list of differential diagnoses.
For this, in addition to the physical examination performed with an ethoscope and other physical examinations that are consistent with other symptoms, a pure tone audiometric hearing test is necessary.
In addition to pure tone audiometric testing, some paraclinical tests, such as blood tests, balance tests, and brain MRI, may be necessary to ensure that the diagnosis of a stroke is correct.
Signs and symptoms
Signs of a stroke are that there is a hearing loss of 30 decibels (decibels per unit of sound measurement) at three consecutive frequencies for 72 hours.
This will be determined by a test called pure body audiometry. A reduction of 30 decibels can turn ordinary speech sounds for a person in everyday life into a whisper-like sound.
Treatment
Treatment for sudden hearing loss, especially when the underlying cause remains unknown, is the use of early corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and swelling, thus helping to treat the disease.
On the other hand, it suppresses some reactions of the immune system.
In previous years, steroids were given orally and in pill form for treatment, but for about 10 years, these steroids have been injected directly into the middle ear and then spread through the eardrum to avoid systemic side effects.
By injecting corticosteroids into the middle ear so that the drug flows into the inner ear and has its effects.
It is important that this treatment is started as soon as possible in order to get the best results. In some cases, Interatiponic corticosteroid injections are given before the test and even when the results are ready, because the golden time to cure this disease is two to four weeks.
After this period, it is less likely that the person's hearing will return and become permanent.
If a stroke is the result of an autoimmune disorder, it means that our body system is unfamiliar with the structure of the inner ear and attacks it. In these cases, it may be necessary to take immunosuppressive drugs. In case of insufficient therapeutic response, the doctor will resort to cochlear implantation.
In what case does the doctor recommend cochlear implantation?
In any of these cases, your doctor may recommend a cochlear implant:
- Existing treatments have not responded.
- Hearing loss is bilateral.
- Hearing is very severe as a result of a stroke.