I've just been diagnosed with a sudden hearing loss in one ear. I'm 41 and there is no family history or any recent incident that would account for this.
I've just started a 5 day course of steroids and am trying to figure out what else I can be doing - other tests, treatments, new research?
Will going to a more experienced treatment center make any difference and if so, should I wait to finish the course of steroids?
Thanks so much for providing this wonderful informational service.
Reply -------------------------
Considerable controversy exists regarding the management of sudden nerve hearing loss in one ear. There have been many different therapeutic regimens recommended over the years including steroids, bed rest, diuretic agents, and even carbon gas inhalations. Over the years little evidence has emerged supporting any one particular therapeutic regimen over another or even over doing nothing at all outside of observation. An actual cause for a sudden nerve hearing loss can rarely be identified. However, many physicians recommend at least some screening tests to rule out the possibility that a benign tumor of the inner ear nerve might exist. Although this is a fairly remote possibility, there are audiometric tests that can help rule this out. Many physicians still do use a short course of steroid therapy if the hearing loss is acute and the patient is seen within a day or two of its onset. If the loss has been present for several days or more, I prefer to observe only with the expectation that approximately a third of patients will completely recover within a few weeks, a third will partially recover, and another third will not recover, regardless of the treatment.
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Steve Dankle, MD
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Milwaukee, Wis
NOTICE: OFCN is not engaged in the rendering of professional medical services. The information contained on this system or any other OFCN system should not supplant individual professional consultation. It is offered exclusively as a community education service. Advice on individual problems must be obtained directly from a professional.
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