A Study of Sudden Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss is an accepted abbreviation for the more complete term, idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Numerous definitions of this entity have been offered. It is distinguished from other forms of sensorineural hearing loss by the rapidity of its onset, which may be within a moment or over a few days. The treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss is treatment of symptom, not a disease, for which no specific causes are definitely known. A clinico-statistical survey was performed on 39 cases of idiopathic sensorine-ural hearing loss at the department of Otolayngology, Ewha Womans University during the past 6 years from January 1978 to August 1984. The results were as follows: 1) The occupation of the patients are employee of a company (38.5%), commerce(17.9%), house wife(15.4%), no occupation(15.4%), police man(7.7%) and soldier(5.1%). 2) Among configuration of the initial pure tone audiometry, profound high tone loss was found in 35.8%, severe hearing loss in 25.6%, moderate severe hearing loss in 20.5%, moderate hearing loss in 12.8%, mild hearing loss in 5.1%. 3) On the combined symptoms with sudden hearing loss, there was tinnitus in 46.2%, vertigo in 20.5%, tinnitus with vertigo in 17.9%, headache in 15.4%. 4) On the combined other diseases with sudden hearing loss, there was hype-rtension in 28.6%, diabetes mellits in 19.0%, allergy in 19.0%, Influenza in 14.4%, arteriosclerosis in 9.5%, psychogenic deafness in 9.5%. 5) On the possible etiologic factors, 15.4% of them were hypertension, viral disease in 12.8%, diabetes mellitus in 10.3%, allergy in 10.3% and unknown origin in 15.4%. 6) Early treatment with low salt diet and bed rest had favorable results. 7) Our treatment method of In-patient were as follows : a) The patient was hospitalized for at least 3 days. b) Nicotinic acid in a flushing dose(50-300mg) given before meals and at bed time until hearing stabilized for at least 3 weeks. c) 10% Dextran, 500cc every 12 hours for 3 days. d) Prednisolon, 10mg 3 times daily for 10 days then given in reduced amount to zero over 10 days. e) Benadryl, 50mg 4 times daily orally or by injection until the hearing stabili-zed for at least 3 weeks. Treatment method of Out-patient : a) Absolute bed rest for 1 week and avoid every stimuli. b) Nicotinic acid therapy, prednisolon therapy and benadyl therapy were given as in-patient method. c) Ascorbic acid, ATP, thiamine hydrochloride were given. d) Low salt diet.