Know when to take Action on Hearing Loss

What would you do if you woke up one morning to discover you’d gone deaf in one ear?

This is something that happens to around one person in every 5,000 and typically affects those in their 40s or 50s. Commonly, many people assume it’s a short term problem because of sinus trouble or a buildup of ear wax, and the temptation is to wait and see what happens. However, this is the wrong thing to do.

Sudden, unexplained hearing loss in one ear is best considered an emergency, and you should seek urgent help. Failing to do this could delay diagnosis and possibly decrease the effectiveness of treatment. When you see the doctor, he will check you for underlying health problems that could impact your hearing and refer you for a hearing test.

If there is a loss of 30 dB (the difference between normal conversation and a whisper) between one ear and the other, then the hearing loss is labelled as SSHL (Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss). However, this is not a diagnosis on its own but is assumed to be a symptom of another problem until proven otherwise.

Problems that can cause SSHL include an adverse reaction to prescription medications, auto-immune disease (the body attacks its own cells), circulatory problems, an infection, a head injury, problems with the inner ear such as Meniere’s disease, or neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis.

It is essential to get yourself checked out in order to rule out these conditions; however, there is no need for panic. A significant number of SSHL cases do occur for no explainable reason, but for the few that do, the trick is not to disregard the symptoms in case it is a valuable early warning sign.

When wondering if it’s necessary to see the doctor for a hearing problem, know that if you have any of the following signs, seeking urgent help is essential. These additional signs include:

• Facial droop or an physical inability to smile;
• Numbness on one side of the body, especially if you are unable to lift the arm on that side;
• Vision problems such as blurring, an inability to focus, or seeing double;
• Severe feelings of sickness or nausea;
• Dizziness, lack of balance, and difficulty standing or walking;
• Slurred speech or problems understanding what people are saying.

However, it’s important to know most people suffer from straightforward, slow onset hearing loss. This should be checked out, but is not an emergency. Gradual hearing loss is not dangerous but does impact your ability to participate in social events which can then affect your mental well-being.

For the benefit of your long-term physical and emotional healt,h it is best not to ignore hearing loss, be it sudden or gradual, but get checked out by a doctor or audiologist.