Locations:
Search IconSearch

Sudden Hearing Loss: Don’t Ignore This Ear Emergency

The quicker you seek treatment, the better

hearing problem

For most people, hearing loss happens gradually over time. You probably don’t notice changes in your hearing from one day to the next.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

But sometimes, hearing loss can come on suddenly and without warning.

This is called sudden sensorineural hearing loss, or sudden hearing loss. It’s when someone loses hearing — usually just in one ear — over the course of three days or less. It can happen to anyone but is most common in adults in their 40s and 50s.

While it can be easy to brush off a sudden change in your hearing (maybe my ear is just clogged or it’s my allergies acting up), it’s actually very important to see a doctor right away if this happens.

“There are not many emergencies of the ear, but this is one thing that we would consider an emergency,” says ear surgeon Erika Woodson, MD.

There can be other causes of sudden changes to your hearing, but if it is SSNHL, it needs treatment — and the sooner, the better.

SSNHL vs. other ear issues

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is different from the common temporary phenomenon called eustachian tube dysfunction. This is the cloudy hearing and full feeling in the ear that you might experience when traveling on an airplane. It’s also different from a feeling of blockage caused by allergies or a cold, though it can feel similar.

SSNHL happens because of damage to the inner ear, or because of problems with the nerve fibers that deliver information from the ear to the brain. Most of the time, there’s no clear rhyme or reason why it happens to someone. It can be either temporary or permanent.

Advertisement

So, if you experience a sudden change in your hearing, how do you know whether it’s SSNHL or one of these other things?

Any kind of noticeable hearing loss should prompt a visit to your primary care doctor or urgent care center for investigation, Dr. Woodson says.

The presence of dizziness or vertigo along with hearing loss can be clues of SSNHL, she says. Some people also report a strong ringing in their ear before their hearing fades.

“That’s because the brain does not know what to do with the changes of signal it’s getting from the ear, so it either misinterprets what bad signal it’s getting as noise, or it’s trying to fill in the gap — almost like a phantom sound,” she explains.

An ENT can help get to the bottom of the problem

If a primary care or urgent care provider doesn’t see any signs of blockage or infection in the ear that could be causing sudden hearing loss, the next step is quick referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist.

The ENT specialist will want to rule out anything else that could be causing the symptoms and give a hearing test.

“Many of these patients would not have a baseline hearing test for comparison, but in those circumstances, what we’re mostly looking for is asymmetry, or a difference between the two ears,” Dr. Woodson explains.

They may also order an MRI to rule out other problems, such as benign tumors that form on the hearing and balance nerves. These are called acoustic neuromas. “These are uncommon tumors, but this is the way they tend to pop up first, with sudden hearing loss,” Dr. Woodson says.

If SSNHL is determined to be the culprit for the hearing loss, the next step is steroid therapy to reduce inflammation in the inner ear. This typically starts with oral treatment (pills), but depending on the situation and the patient, injection of steroids into the ear drum could also be an option.

Does hearing come back?

Studies have found that half to two-thirds of people who experience SSNHL recover their hearing. Those who don’t may benefit from other treatments such as hearing aids or cochlear implants.

While there isn’t necessarily a way to predict who will and who will not get their full hearing back, Dr. Woodson notes that people with only mild hearing loss who seek treatment within a week tend to have higher rates of recovery.

In the same vein, it’s hard to know who is going to experience sudden hearing loss in the first place. But Dr. Woodson says recent research has uncovered associations between SSNHL and vascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension.

“Anything that can affect the little blood vessels coursing through our body can make somebody more likely to have sudden sensorineural hearing loss,” she says.

So the best thing people can do to avoid it? “Take care of themselves and their chronic medical problems,” Dr. Woodson says. “All the things that are important for heart health are important for ear health as well.”

Advertisement

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Child on bed and pillow, with over the headphones on, listening to music
September 23, 2024/Ear, Nose & Throat
Sound the Alarm: How Headphones Can Harm Your Hearing

Avoid poorly fitting gear, opt for quality devices and consider sound-limiting technology to help prevent noise-induced hearing loss

Two people using sign language to talk to each other
June 24, 2024/Ear, Nose & Throat
Tips for Better Communication With a Person Who Has Hearing Loss

Reduce background noise, don’t talk too fast or too slow and above all, ask what’s most helpful to them

person adjusting ear bud in ear
March 6, 2024/Ear, Nose & Throat
Take Good Care of Your Ears: Tips for Ear Hygiene and Hearing Protection

Care for your ears by steering clear of cotton swabs, taking precautions in loud settings and seeking medical help when needed

person holding up finger to ear in social setting
August 23, 2023/Ear, Nose & Throat
How To Navigate Hearing Loss in Social Settings

There are lots of tips, tricks and assistive devices out there that can help

Closeup of person wearing thier BiCros hearing aid in their right ear.
July 21, 2022/Ear, Nose & Throat
6 Tips for Getting Used to Your New Hearing Aids

Hearing aid technology has vastly improved over the last several years

Megaphone blasts sound into the ears of elderly person with cane
April 12, 2022/Brain & Nervous System
Can Hearing Loss Lead To Dementia?

Keeping your brain healthy is key

Trying to communicate with while wearing mask
October 20, 2020/Ear, Nose & Throat
How To Communicate Clearly While Wearing a Mask

Make it easier to hear and be heard

Man fixing hearing aid
May 19, 2020/Ear, Nose & Throat
What to Do When a Loved One Needs Help for Their Hearing

Learn how to help encourage a better quality of life

Trending Topics

Female and friend jogging outside
How To Increase Your Metabolism for Weight Loss

Focus on your body’s metabolic set point by eating healthy foods, making exercise a part of your routine and reducing stress

stovetop with stainless steel cookware and glassware
5 Ways Forever Chemicals (PFAS) May Affect Your Health

PFAS chemicals may make life easier — but they aren’t always so easy on the human body

jar of rice water and brush, with rice scattered around table
Could Rice Water Be the Secret To Healthier Hair?

While there’s little risk in trying this hair care treatment, there isn’t much science to back up the claims

Ad