What may be the cause of sudden deafness? How to deal with it?

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Sudden deafness, referred to as sudden deafness, is a hearing loss of unknown cause that occurs within 72 hours, which is manifested as a decrease of at least 20dBHL between two adjacent HZ on the audiometric test chart. There are multiple cases in one ear, and there is no significant gender difference. It has been increasing year by year in recent years. Sudden deafness is divided into four types: low-frequency descending type, high-frequency descending type, flat descending type, and total deafness type.


What may be the cause of sudden deafness? How to deal with it?


The cause of sudden deafness is currently unknown, and is mostly related to viral infection, drug poisoning, inner ear ischemia, and autoimmune diseases. Mental and psychological factors are common triggers. To relieve mental stress, do not stay up late. It is generally recommended to use some drugs to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis or dilate blood vessels. Sudden deafness usually has a recovery period of 3 months. It is recommended that you go to the hospital's otolaryngology department for examination and treatment as soon as possible.



What may be the cause of sudden deafness?

1. Vascular disease
Vascular disease is an important factor leading to sudden deafness. Inducing factors such as exposure to cold, heat, fatigue, mental agitation, allergies, and endocrine disorders can cause autonomic nervous system disorders, leading to inner ear blood circulation disorders. Its pathological changes can include vasospasm, edema, hemorrhage, thrombosis, and blood cell adhesion, etc., which lead to blood stasis, insufficient blood supply to the inner ear, causing tissue edema, hypoxia, and then metabolic disorders, and finally the end receptors of the inner ear are affected. damage, causing deafness.

2. Viral infection
Viral infection is the most common cause of sudden deafness. Viral infection follows the following main routes:
1. Blood infection: virus particles are transmitted by The blood circulation directly enters the inner ear blood circulation, causing cochlear circulation disorder or endolymphatic labyrinthitis.

2. Transmeningeal route: The virus invades the perilymph space from the subarachnoid space through the cribriform plate at the bottom of the internal auditory canal or through the cochlear canaliculus, causing perilymphatic labyrinthitis. Therefore, cochlear symptoms appear after meningitis. Herpes zoster virus is the main causative agent of perilymphatic labyrinthitis.

3. Through the round window: Non-suppurative otitis media caused by viruses, the infection can invade the inner ear through the round window.


3. Membranous labyrinth hydrops
Some mild or moderate sudden hearing loss, with or without vertigo, may be different types of Meniere's disease. Sudden deafness may also be the first symptom of Meniere's disease, and 5% to 6.6% of patients eventually develop Meniere's disease; 27% (3/11) of patients with sudden deafness have a positive furosemide test.

4. Labyrinth membrane rupture
Labyrinth membrane rupture refers to the rupture of the round window or oval window membrane of the inner ear combined with the rupture of the cochlear membrane. Due to membrane rupture, symptoms such as sudden sensorineural deafness, vertigo, and tinnitus are caused. Sudden changes in middle ear air pressure and intracranial pressure due to sudden exertion or drastic changes in air pressure can induce sudden
inner ear microcirculation disorders. When a person is emotional or anxious, the person's adrenaline secretion increases, causing the inner ear to The small arteries spasm, and the blood flow in the small blood vessels is slow, causing the red blood cells and platelets in the blood to stick to each other, causing deafness.

Sudden deafness should be treated quickly and must be promptly treated. The earlier the treatment, the better the effect. Among them, the low-frequency descending type has the best therapeutic effect, followed by the high-frequency type, and the flat type and total deafness type have the worst effects. Treatment mainly involves the use of drugs that improve microcirculation, glucocorticoids, which can be intravenously infused, taken orally, or injected into the tympanic membrane and around the ears, and drugs that reduce blood viscosity. If the effect is not good, neurotrophic drugs, etc. can be used in the later stage. While taking active treatment, you should also maintain an optimistic attitude.