Hearing Loss Can Strike Suddenly

By Hearing loss usually occurs gradually, over a period of months or years. But in almost 5,000 cases each year, the loss is rapid or even immediate. A Duke audiologist says there is no clear cause for this sudden deafness, but medications or hearing am

Friday, February 25, 2005

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Durham, N.C. -- Each year, thousands of people experience a sudden and alarming loss of hearing. This mysterious condition is called Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, or SSNHL. It can occur in one or both ears and has no clear warning signs or definitive cause. Jodi Hogan, a clinical audiologist at Duke University Medical Center, says SSNHL should be treated as a medical emergency. Hogan says starting a treatment with steroids within a day or two of onset can greatly improve the chances for recovery. Hogan says new digital hearing aid technology can dramatically improve hearing function in patients who don’t regain full hearing. I’m Cabell Smith for MedMinute.

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