Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss | What Happens if You Lose Your Hearing Overnight?

What happens if your hearing disappears overnight? (SSNHL)

Dr. Rachael Cook, audiologist at Applied Hearing Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona, talks about what sudden sensorineural hearing loss is and how to treat it.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
01:32 What is Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss?
02:48 Causes of SSNHL
03:18 What to do if you experience SSNHL
04:04 Treatment
05:20 Prognosis
06:19 Treatment for Permanent Loss
07:07 Final Thoughts

[jsnicky]

After getting sudden hearing loss in my left ear in the middle of the day about a month ago, I went to a doctor and was diagnosed with fluid in my middle ear. After a round of prednisone, I guess my hearing improved slightly but it was not major. A month later today, I went to an ENT doctor and he said there's no fluid in my ear and diagnosed me with SSNHL. So devastating since I'm an audio engineer. The worst part of it all is that it is so hard to see any doctors, especially specialized doctors, in a quick timeframe. It often takes weeks and by then the treatment window has passed.

[sfrink]

Thanks for the shout-out!

Something to add to this is that sudden sensori-neural hearing loss (SSNHL) is often MISdiagnosed by regular physicians. They often misdiagnose it as a middle ear infection, and write a prescription for anti-biotics to treat it;. Since most SSNHL is virally-induced, anti-biotics have no beneficial effects on it, and the window for the steroid treatment gets missed.

One clear difference between virally-induced SSNHL and a middle ear infection is pain. SSNHL does not cause pain, but a middle ear infection is often accompanied by pain. This is due to the fluid behind the eardrum applying pressure to it, and that sensation of pressure can be painful. This is why it's best for patients experiencing a sudden, overnight decrease in their hearing to be seen immediately by either an audiologist or otolaryngologist, preferably within 24 hours of the SSNHL occurring.

[andyf]

Thanks for this critical video. It really is a ticking-clock emergency!

I suffer from SSNHL, from my late 30s, over 15 years ago. Unfortunately the audiologists and hearing aid professionals I have worked with seem not so interested in researching solutions; since a hearing aid(s) will rarely "satisfy" the hearing loss need. I want to hear conversations properly coming into my bad side, even if it's just being transferred to my good side. But I do not want it to mess up what I am hearing on my good side just to be able to hear it.

My experience with CROS and AMPCROS Phone, and Duo-Acoustic 2xHA solutions over the years is just that. To hear over natural background noise (outside, in a cafe, at a party), the volume needs to be (manually) increased in the HA or Receiver in my good ear; which messes up with the natural hearing coming into my the good ear. So it just messes up all hearing inputs. Of course in a nice, quiet environment, where all sounds and voices are crystal clear, works a charm. But with SSNHL, you can hear "reasonably" OK without any aid in such environments; so what's the justification for paying $1000s for HAs to improve a little what you already hear OK.


Would love to hear about success stories of long-time suffers of SSNHL who finally took the Cochlear Implant (CI) option. Thanks.

[tomclayton]

Yeah. Happened to me first week of Dec. 2023. Couldn't see my primary doctor until a month later, seeing an audiologist 3 weeks after that and my first hearing test isn't until March 21st. They don't seem to care about the 'time' issue or we just don't have enough audiologists to cover all the patients in a timely manner. I live in Los Angeles, not outer Mongolia, so not getting a quicker response is inexcusable. They just don't seem to be as concerned about my condition as they should be, as I am. Thank you for your informative video. I learned more here than the three doctors I've already seen.

[davekorwek]

I developed SSHL 2 weeks after having covid. It happened withing 30 minutes while watching videos on the computer. Was treated within 48 hours but there hasn't been any improvement in a year and a half. What I do hear is just buzzing. No word recognition. Problem I have is I have severe tinnitus. I have to have some input into my right ear or the tinnitus is overwhelming. It's a fine balance between how much buzzing to amplify so that it doesn't totally distort what I hear in my left ear and loud enough to cover up some of the ringing. There are good days and bad days, but we keep plugging along hoping that the buzzing calms down enough over time so that we can turn up the volume in my right ear to help in masking more of the tinnitus and hear better.

[jasonmcmaster]

UGH!! This is what is so frustrating about going to a local walk-in or GP...always under such pressure and busy that they jump to conclusions, give you a script for nasal sprays and ear drops and run out of the patient room as fast as they swooped in!! Especially in Southern Ontario...just another day in the Canadian health care system!! 🤬

[colaboytje]

Two weeks ago, it started in my left ear. Treatment was started the day after. Yet, after 2 weeks, I don't notice revovery, although the first evaluation after 1 week, showed a bit of recovery that I couldn't notice in real life. I'm really worried about the prognosis now. My life is built around music (composing, recording, playing). It is very heavy psychologically impacting my life quality.
Please people: don't mess with your ears. You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. Seek medical help as soon as possible.
The first doctor I saw on the day I had the hearing loss, was certain that it was a cold coming up. So she sent me home with the message to not worry. Later that day I went to the ER and was referred to an emergency consultation with an ENT.
Don't let your doctor send you home when you have suddenly hearing loss. It is an emergency. General practitioners are less likely to recognise this.

[ryanakers]

I am 43. Happened to me on May 20 this year. My right ear popped and I lost all high frequency and a little bit of mid and low. ENT gave me steroids but they didn't help. Left ear is still perfect (audiologist's words). He wants me to wait 3-6 months before getting a hearing aid because he said he has seen hearing suddenly come back up to a year later. I had an MRI last week to check for a tumor and am waiting for the results. I do have tinnitus which I'm learning to live with and my hearing loss hasn't gotten worse since it first happened. It's just very frustrating now in any place with a lot of people.

[Wrighjj]

i had my second sudden loss overnight in November. I'll get my cochlear implant this week.

[karodora]

I experienced sudden hearing loss about 25 years ago when I was in my early 50s—my right ear was affected, but the loss was mostly in my left ear. After twice having my office telephone replaced because I thought it was defective, one of my co-workers asked, “Did you ever think it could be YOU?” I had not, but consulted an ENT who explained my sudden hearing loss. At that time, no treatment was available, so I had to live with it. My hearing has gotten progressively worse, so I now wear hearing aids which help my right ear, but not the left.

[sheagoff]

This happened to one of the staff members at my school. She was 25 years old and had a mild hearing loss. Went to bed and woke up completely deaf in both ears.

[davidwhite]

I had SSHL in my left ear in early 2019. I think what caused it was a combo of autoimmune (I've had a couple of other conditions over the years) and heavy weight training using valsalva maneuver breathing. I was in the gym doing heavy squats with a big belt and using valsalva. I felt a bit unsteady after the squats and sat down for a bit but recovered. When walking back from the gym my ear just went pop and most of my hearing went in that ear. I had a course of oral steroids 3 days later and then a trans-tympanic injection a couple of weeks after which was a pretty awful experience. I did regain some hearing but then back in the gym again doing heavy deadlifts I blew the left ear drum which is why I think that the pressure in my neck from the lifting was a major contributory factor. I've managed to cope well enough with just a standard NHS issued hearing aid but obviously wish it hadn't happened. There is hope though, there are a number of ongoing projects to help regrow inner ear hairs like The Regain Project which uses GAmma-secretase INhibitors to regenerate the inner ear hairs so keep your fingers crossed.

[Wintermoon]

After reading several comments, it seems like this condition often happens in the left ear. Strange. This is also my problem. I can't hear much from my left ear but my right one is great. It started 2 years ago when I was 47. Although I was treated and have recovered a bit of hearing since then, the emprovement has been minimal. For now I guess it's better than nothing. I keep hoping for a miracle lol.

[stevej]

I wish more people knew about this, because I sure didn't a few months ago. If you wake up with hearing loss and have no pain, redness, or swelling, it's not an infection and you must address it immediately. If an ENT can't squeeze you in within a few days, go to the ER. I waited a couple days before going and I am very lucky to have gotten most of my hearing back. Please don't ignore it, because any damage done is permanent.

[SF-ozkf]

This happened to me in 2019. I already had hearing loss and wore hearing aids but the hearing in my left ear dropped again overnight. One round of prednisone brought it back for about 2 months and then it dropped again. I never recovered even with a subsequent round of prednisone. My Otolarangologist said that consumption of caffeine may have contributed. Have you heard of this?

[dannyford]

wish i knew about this before! Urgent care assured me it was eustachian tube disfunction until i was finally able to see an ENT months later 😕I'm only 33

[iluvj]

Happened to me. Been a year and a half. My left ear was the victim. Got to the ENT three days later. Took a course of Prednisone which returned the volume but not the clarity. Subsequently received three intratympanic Prednisone injections which did nothing. I now wear hearing aids which help but are sadly inadequate to restore my previous clarity. If this happens to you then run to an ENT and get treated immediately.

[saullopez]

This just happens to me on May 20th. I’ve been taking prednisone, still, no recovery. I did a hearing test, my left ear is on the severe level of hearing loss, and I just did another test, and same results. I have a MRI tomorrow May 31st. I’m dreading the steroid injection in the ear, but I know I have to do it…. Thanks for this video the explanation you give.

[bobafat]

i lost a lot of hearing overnight. Doctors didnt want to help so now i am left with permanant hearing loss. Im 25

[Ponka]

THANK YOU so very much!! Grateful I stumbled on your video - such a clear and concise presentation that explained everything fully. My SNHL happened last Friday and by Monday I had gone to the ER and the ENT diagnosed me and gave me a round of Prednisone (giving me terrible side effects but grateful I have a chance to possibly restore my hearing function). Thanks again from your newest subscriber ❤