Sudden hearing loss can be treated with steroid injection
People who experience a sudden hearing loss (SSNHL) are often treated with systemic steroids, which are taken orally. Studies however show that people with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) who do not respond to this treatment can benefit from intratympanic steroid injections. Studies carried out at universities in USA and Thailand show intratympanic steroid injections to be very effective and that the treatment does not have any side-effects.
Dr. David Haynes from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA, carried out the study of 40 people who had experienced sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Overall, 40% showed some kind of improvement when treated with intratympanic steroid injections.
The earlier the treatment the better
As with systemic steroid treatment, the chances of recovery from sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) are increased the earlier the treatment begins. In the American study, the results show that those who began intratympanic steroid injection treatment more than 36 days after the onset of their sudden hearing loss did not benefit significantly from the treatment.
But if those persons are excluded from the results, the improvement rate increases to 39.3%. No one recovered completely from sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), but the results show an improvement in hearing of an average of 20% after the hearing loss.
The results are backed-up by other studies and are considered as positive findings for the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).
Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov