Table of contents:
- Ears can become deaf suddenly
- What causes sudden deafness in one ear?
- How to treat deaf ear?
- Can the deaf ear return to normal?
Sometimes, one side of the ear that is drenched in water or is clogged with wax can suddenly become deaf. But if your ear suddenly becomes deaf without knowing the cause, don't underestimate this. Although your hearing may return intact again, this hearing loss is an emergency that must be checked by a doctor immediately. Indeed, what causes the sudden deafness of one ear? Can this condition be cured?
Ears can become deaf suddenly
The ear is said to be suddenly deaf when the ear loses some of its ability to hear. This means that you can only hear volume no more than 30 decibels (dB). In comparison, the volume of a typical conversation is around 60 dB.
This condition usually occurs in one ear only. It is known that there are not too many people affected by this health problem, which is around 5,000 people per year. Most of the time, deaf ears are suddenly experienced by people who have entered the age of more than 40 years. Only 1 in 10 cases of sudden deafness occur in both ears.
Many people know they have this when they wake up in the morning and one of their ears can't hear anything. Or some people know it when they are busy carrying out their daily activities and then the sounds around them mute, as if they were heard from a distance. Sometimes, there are several other symptoms that arise when a person experiences this, namely the ears feel pressure, the head feels light, and the ears are ringing.
What causes sudden deafness in one ear?
In the medical world, a sudden deaf ear is known as sensorineural hearing loss. This condition can be caused by various things, namely:
- Infectious disease
- Trauma or injury, often to the head
- Autoimmune diseases, such as Cogan's syndrome
- Impaired blood circulation
- Taking drugs that affect hearing ability
- Tumors that grow in the part of the brain that regulates hearing ability
- Nervous system disorders, such as multiple sclerosis
- Inner ear disorders
How to treat deaf ear?
In most cases, people who experience these health problems - especially those whose causes are not clear - will be given corticosteroid drugs. This drug is actually used to treat various disorders that cause symptoms of inflammation and swelling.
While other additional treatments will be adjusted to the condition of each patient, do not forget to look at the cause through a thorough physical examination. For example, if your sudden ear deafness is caused by an infection, your doctor will prescribe you an antibiotic to cure the infection.
Meanwhile, if you are found to have taken a drug that causes deafness in your ears suddenly, the doctor will replace the drug with another type. The treatment given can also include the placement of cochlear implants so that the patient can hear better.
Can the deaf ear return to normal?
In most cases or about 32-79% of cases, hearing ability will recover by itself within 1-2 weeks. However, for those who have vertigo, they have a smaller chance of regaining normal hearing ability. In addition, age also affects the patient's chances of regaining the ability to hear again. The younger they are, the more likely they are to return to normal hearing.
