(Disclaimer: This article is for general use only. To protect Mr. Lin’s privacy, the information in the following content has been processed)
Abstract: Mr. Lin, aged 42, came to our hospital with “sudden hearing loss in the left ear with tinnitus 1 day ago”. He was considered to have “sudden deafness in the left ear (total deafness)” based on his specific symptoms, physical examination and hearing test results. After detailed communication with Mr. Lin about his condition, we recommended medication. After 14 days of outpatient infusion, hearing was restored and tinnitus was reduced.
Basic information】Male, 42 years old
Disease Type】Sudden deafness in the left ear (total deafness type)
Hospital】Qilu Hospital of Shandong University
Time of consultation】April 2017
Treatment plan】Medication (methylprednisolone sodium succinate, sparing blood injection, prostaglandin injection, methylcobalamin tablets, lipoic acid injection, rat nerve growth factor for injection, methylprednisolone tablets, ginkgo biloba)
Treatment period】14 days of outpatient infusion, 1 month of outpatient follow-up
Treatment effect] Mr. Lin’s hearing was restored, tinnitus was reduced, and the disease was cured.
I. Initial consultation
Mr. Lin came to our hospital in April 2017. He reported that he usually had regular living habits, was in a stable mood and was relatively healthy. However, 1 day ago, he had a sudden hearing loss in his left ear without any obvious cause, accompanied by left tinnitus, which was a buzzing-like sound, without vertigo and without ear pain. Considering his old age, he rushed to the hospital for consultation. Outpatient examination in the ENT department showed that the external auditory canal was open bilaterally without redness and swelling, and the tympanic membrane was intact bilaterally with clear anatomical landmarks. Hearing examination suggested: severe sensorineural deafness in the left ear, normal hearing in the right ear, and binaural A-curve of sound conduction resistance. On consideration, Mr. Lin was diagnosed with sudden deafness in the left ear (total deafness type).
II. Treatment history
As Mr. Lin was suffering from sudden deafness in the left ear, he needed immediate infusion treatment. After communication about his condition and treatment plan, Mr. Lin agreed to medication. He was then given sodium methylprednisolone succinate for injection, sparing blood injection, prostaglandin injection, methylcobalamin tablets, and lipoic acid injection, during which he was reviewed periodically to assess the recovery of hearing.
At the end of the first course (7 days), further communication with Mr. Lin and his family was made according to the hearing recovery, and the second course (7 days) of treatment was started with the application of Ginkgo biloba extract injection, prostaglandin injection, lipoic acid injection, methylcobalamin tablets, rat nerve growth factor for injection and methylprednisolone tablets. After the end of the 2nd treatment course (7 days), ginkgo biloba leaves and metocobalamin tablets were applied for 1 month. Outpatient review was followed up for 1 month.
III. Treatment effect
After the first course of treatment (7 days), Mr. Lin felt that his left ear tinnitus was relieved and his hearing in the left ear improved, and his hearing improved by an average of 40dB in the left ear on recheck.
After the second course of treatment (7 days), Mr. Lin felt that his left ear hearing improved significantly, but he still had mild left tinnitus, and his hearing was normal in both ears and his left ear was cured.
After 1 month of outpatient continued medication treatment, hearing in both ears was normal and left tinnitus was relieved. Mr. Lin felt normal and expressed his gratitude to the medical staff.
Hearing result after 1 course of treatment
Hearing result after 2 courses of treatment
IV. Notes
We are glad that Mr. Lin’s tinnitus symptoms have improved and his hearing has gradually recovered after medication. During the recovery period, Mr. Lin should follow the doctor’s instruction to take the medication regularly and quantitatively, and should not change the dosage without permission, or not take it or miss it, so as not to affect the recovery. In daily life, he should relax, ensure sleep, combine work and rest, lead a regular life and avoid violent mood swings; eat a low-salt, low-fat diet, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, and prohibit smoking and alcohol; pay attention to staying away from noise, avoid ototoxic drugs and prevent colds. If you have any more abnormal symptoms such as hearing loss or tinnitus, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
V. Personal insight
Sudden deafness is a common otolaryngological disease, and the treatment effect depends on the time of seeking medical treatment after the onset of the disease. In this case, Mr. Lin came to the hospital on the second day after the onset of the disease and actively cooperated with the treatment, so his prognosis was better. Therefore, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible when sudden deafness occurs. The cause of this disease is unknown and may be related to vascular diseases of the inner ear or viral infections, and can be triggered by mental stress and mood swings.