Sudden Hearing Loss is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY
For most people, hearing is important for communication, for safety and for everyday activities. Sudden hearing loss is a hearing loss that comes on very fast, within a 3-day period and can be scary.
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss is diagnosed when a) the hearing loss comes on over a very short period of time (72 hours; b) there is a standard loss of at hearing of at least 30 decibels (a measure of the extent of the sound loss), at 3 sound frequencies (loosely related to pitch) tested consecutively; and c) all known possible causes for the sudden hearing loss have been ruled out.
The standard treatment for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss is oral or intratympanic (into the middle ear) corticosteroid. The published data on the outcomes of these treatments is difficult to compare since often the studies are not standardized and the outcome measures differ. As a best estimate, the outcome after corticosteroid treatment results in about 1/3 of patients fully recovering, about 1/3 of patients only partly recovering their hearing, and 1/3 of patients never recovering their hearing.
It has been confirmed that when medical attention is provided sooner, especially within the first two weeks after the loss of hearing, the patient is more likely to have a positive outcome of the treatment.
If you have SSNHL, regardless of why you think you have it, contact a medical professional as soon as possible.
For Northwestern Medicine, the number to call for immediate medical assistance for hearing loss is 312-695-8182. And when you call, clearly indicate that you have a sudden hearing loss and need to be seen immediately.