Sudden deafness (hereafter referred to as sudden deafness) is a sudden onset of sensory-neural deafness of unknown cause, also known as violent deafness. It has a rapid onset and progression, and the outcome of treatment is directly related to the time of consultation, so it should be considered an otologic emergency.
What causes sudden deafness?
The cause of sudden deafness is unknown. More than 100 causes of this disease have been documented, many of which are rare. According to Mattox (1977), the causes of the disease are in the order of viral infection, vascular disease, endolymphatic edema, rupture of the vagus membrane, and a combination of these factors.
What are the early symptoms of sudden deafness?
1. Deafness. The disease is aggressive and hearing loss can occur in an instant, within hours or days, or sudden deafness can be felt in the morning. In chronic cases, the deafness can gradually worsen and stop progressing only after a few days. Its degree ranges from mild to total deafness. It can be temporary or permanent. It is mostly unilateral, but occasionally occurs bilaterally or sequentially. It can be cochlear deafness or postcochlear deafness.
2. Tinnitus. Tinnitus occurs before and after deafness, accounting for about 70% of cases. It usually appears a few hours before the deafness, mostly as a buzzing sound, and can last for a month or more. Some patients may emphasize the tinnitus and ignore the hearing loss.
3. Vertigo. About 1/3 of sudden deafness is accompanied by varying degrees of vertigo, about 10% of which are severe deafness with nausea and vomiting that can last 4 to 7 days, and mild dizziness that can exist for more than 6 weeks. A small number of patients present with vertigo as the main symptom and are easily misdiagnosed as Meniere’s disease. It relieves after a few days and does not recur.
4. Ear blockage. Blocked ears usually precede deafness.
5. Nystagmus. There may be spontaneous nystagmus if vertigo is present.
How to take care of sudden deafness?
It was reported that researchers from the Acute Severe Deafness Investigation and Research Class of the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare investigated and compared the living and eating habits of 164 patients with sudden deafness who visited hospitals and 24,941 healthy people of the same age, sex, and place of residence as those with sudden deafness, and analyzed the risk factors leading to sudden deafness. The results found that people who do not get enough sleep and often skip breakfast are prone to sudden deafness. It was found that the risk of sudden deafness was 4.3 times higher in people who slept less than 7 hours a day compared to those who slept 7 to 8 hours a day, and 2.73 times higher in people who often skipped breakfast compared to those who ate breakfast.
What should be considered before treatment of sudden deafness?
1. Patients with sudden deafness should recuperate at home, especially avoid contact with noise or excessive sound. Keeping the home environment tidy and the patient in a relaxed mood will be conducive to recovery.
2.Prevent colds, some patients with sudden deafness may be indirectly related to colds, so preventing colds can reduce a morbidity factor.
3. Don’t overexert yourself, do not overexert yourself, and do not overexert yourself. This disease mostly occurs in middle-aged people, so middle-aged people should pay more attention to this point.
Western medical treatment for sudden deafness
1.General treatment
Patients should be hospitalized as much as possible, rest in bed, and limit the intake of water and salt.
2. Nerve-nourishing drugs
Vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B12, glutathione and energy synergists (ATP, coenzyme A, cytochrome C) should be used early.
3.Vasodilators
Mainly used for sudden deafness caused by vascular lesions. Niacin, histamine phosphate, procaine, etc.
4.Heparin
It has been proposed that sudden deafness is often accompanied by hypercoagulability of blood. Heparin has the function of inhibiting the formation of thrombin, inhibiting the activity of thrombin, and preventing the agglutination and destruction of platelets; it also has the function of anti-vascular spasm and reducing the permeability of blood vessels; it can combine with histamine in the body to limit the destruction of cells by histamine. The application of small doses of heparin has been used as a routine drug for the treatment of sudden deafness.
5.Low molecular dextrose
It can reduce blood viscosity, decrease red blood cell agglutination and improve capillary circulation.