SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS

SNHL have two types:

• Congenital sensorinueral hearing loss- It may happen during pregnancy. Possible causes may be prematurity, genes and maternal diabetes.
• Acquired sensorineural hearing loss- It happens after birth and may be a result of aging, diseases and infection or frequent exposure to loud noises.

Symptoms may include:

• Some Sounds Seem Too Loud
• You Have Problems Following Conversations When Two or More People are Talking
• You Have Problems Hearing in Noisy Areas
• It is Easier to Hear Men’s Voices Than Women’s Voices
• It Is Hard to Tell High-Pitched Sounds (such as “S” Or “Th”) from One Another
• Other People’s Voices Sound Mumbled or Slurred
• You Have Problems Hearing When There is Background Noise

Other symptoms include:

• Feeling of Being Off-Balance or Dizzy (More Common with Meniere Disease and Acoustic Neuromas)
• Ringing or Buzzing Sound in the Ears (Tinnitus)

DIAGNOSIS

To diagnose if you have SNHL, you may go to a doctor that specializes the ear. He or she may ask for your medical history. You doctor may also base on the result of your physical exam.

Other diagnosing tests may include:

• Audiogram- It shows a hearing loss of at least 30 decibels in at least three connected frequencies occurring over a period of 72 hours or less.
• Blood Work- It is done to rule out potentially systemic causes of SSHL including syphilis, Lyme disease, metabolic, autoimmune, and circulatory disorders.
• Polytomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)– Might help to rule out a tumor (acoustic neuroma) which is reported in up to 15% of patients with sudden hearing loss

TREATMENT

Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be treated medications, even surgery. Most people diagnose with the disease uses hearing aids with their entire life to help with their hearing. However, there are few cases of sensorineural hearing loss that can be partly treated by means of an operation.