[Health Tip] One-Sided Ear Fullness and Tinnitus... Need to Test for 'Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss'

Photo by Getty Images Bank

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a condition where hearing rapidly deteriorates within a few hours to 2-3 days. It usually occurs in one ear and, in severe cases, can result in complete hearing loss. It most commonly affects people in their 30s to 50s, and the incidence rate in South Korea is known to be 20 to 50 cases per 100,000 people, although some reports suggest the actual incidence may be much higher.

While typical hearing loss often occurs after prolonged exposure to loud noise, SSNHL is characterized by a sudden decline in hearing without exposure to loud noise. According to the professional definition, SSNHL is diagnosed when sensorineural hearing loss of 30 dB or more occurs in three or more consecutive frequencies within 3 days, as confirmed by pure tone audiometry.

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Causes and Symptoms

In most cases, the exact cause of SSNHL cannot be identified because responses to treatment and prognosis vary widely. Therefore, it is generally considered to be caused or influenced by multiple factors rather than a single disease. However, viral infections affecting the auditory nerve or circulatory disturbances are believed to be the main causes. Other known causes include rupture of the membrane inside the cochlea, autoimmune inner ear disease, neurological disorders, and acoustic neuroma.

Since partial hearing loss occurs in either low or high frequency ranges, symptoms include difficulty hearing sounds or familiar sounds seeming strange. Accompanying symptoms may include tinnitus (perceiving sound when there is none), a feeling of fullness in the ear, and dizziness. Tinnitus and vertigo often accompany SSNHL, and if left untreated, hearing loss can become complete, making even hearing aids unusable.

Early Detection is Crucial

About one-third of SSNHL cases improve naturally over time after onset. However, if the hearing loss is severe, left untreated for a long time, or accompanied by persistent symptoms such as dizziness, recovery to the pre-onset normal state becomes difficult.

Treatment of SSNHL primarily involves administration of high-dose steroid hormones. During treatment, regular hearing tests are conducted to monitor changes in hearing, and if there is no improvement, steroids may be directly injected into the tympanic membrane using an injection. The degree of hearing recovery depends greatly on the timing of treatment initiation and the initial level of hearing loss. Therefore, if symptoms suggestive of SSNHL are experienced, visiting a hospital promptly to receive optimal treatment is essential for the best therapeutic outcome.

However, early detection of SSNHL relies on the patient’s subjective perception. For example, if sudden tinnitus and hearing loss occur simultaneously, the hearing loss may be unnoticed and mistaken for simple tinnitus, leading to delayed treatment and missing the 'golden time' for intervention. Sometimes sudden hearing loss in one ear is mistaken for ear fullness and left untreated for a considerable period. Early detection is especially difficult and treatment more challenging in elderly or children who have difficulty expressing symptoms.

Ultimately, regularly testing hearing and promptly visiting a specialized hospital if any abnormalities such as hearing loss, tinnitus, or dizziness are noticed is the best approach. Professor Kim Young-ho of Boramae Hospital’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology explained, "Simple hearing tests performed during health checkups cannot accurately assess one’s hearing status, so it is necessary to periodically undergo detailed tests such as pure tone audiometry and speech threshold tests at an otolaryngology clinic." He added, "For those aged 40 to 50 and above who are at higher risk of SSNHL, checking hearing thresholds by frequency in advance and saving those results as images will greatly help in responding immediately if SSNHL occurs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.