It is a rare disease that appears in less than 12 hours with a sharp reduction in hearing in three adjacent audiometric frequencies.
Usually, the aetiology cannot be ascertained, although it has been attributed to a viral infection, vascular disorders (thrombosis or embolisms), autoimmune diseases and traumatisms. The most common case is for it to affect only one ear.
Regarding the symptomatology, in addition to deafness, the feeling of a plugged ear and ringing (tinnitus) may also occur.
Diagnosis is reached through the clinical history and a complete physical examination. The audiometric examination will help to classify the type of deafness.
Treatment will vary depending on the triggering cause: vasodilator medication, corticosteroids, antiplatelet medication, antivirals, etc.
- Peter C Weber. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss. UpToDate. Febrero 2016
- Yen YC. Higher risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss in patients with chronic otitis media. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2015; 141:429.
- Lin HC. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss increases the risk of stroke: a 5-year follow-up study. Stroke 2008; 39:2744.
- Lin C. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is correlated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction: a population-based cohort study. Laryngoscope 2013; 123:2254.
- National Institute of Health. Sudden Deafness. Bethesda, MD. National Institutes of Health; 2000. NIH publication 00-4757.
