Hearing loss can occur gradually or have a sudden onset. When hearing loss happens in a period of three days or less, it is called sudden deafness, sudden hearing loss syndrome, or sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). Sudden hearing loss syndrome is considered a medical emergency. Immediate medical attention reduces the risk of the condition being permanent.
The sudden loss of hearing is commonly noticed in the morning upon waking. However, many people with sudden deafness notice the condition when they attempt to use that ear. The condition often becomes noticeable when the person attempts to make a phone call with the affected ear.
Other symptoms of sudden deafness besides the hearing loss include dizziness and tinnitus. Tinnitus is the presence of a repetitive sound such as a ringing in the ears. The sound may vary from ringing in the ears to numerous other repetitive sounds or tones.
A physician will use a hearing test to detect and measure the hearing loss. A hearing loss of at least thirty decibels is necessary for a diagnosis of sudden hearing loss syndrome. Half the volume of normal conversation is thirty decibels. A person with sudden hearing loss syndrome cannot hear sounds below this level.
The cause of the sudden deafness may never be determined. There are over one hundred possible causes of sudden hearing loss. Head trauma, medications, tumors, poisoning, lack of oxygen, and circulatory system damage are a few possible causes. If the cause is not identified, the condition may be described as idiopathic. Ninety percent of cases of sudden hearing loss are idiopathic.
The treatment for sudden deafness may reflect the suspected cause of the sudden hearing loss. Many causes of sudden hearing loss syndrome do not have a standard, widely accepted treatment. The most common course of treatment for sudden deafness is the administration of steroids. Patients with sudden hearing loss syndrome may also be required to follow a low-salt diet.
Some people with sudden hearing loss recover without medical treatment. Regaining the lost hearing without treatment is called spontaneous recovery. When the sudden deafness has spontaneous recovery, it usually happens within three days.
