14
Patient Information
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is causing the problem?
• The cause of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is often not readily
apparent and thus called idiopathic. It rarely affects both ears and can be
associated with other symptoms such as ringing (tinnitus), dizziness (vertigo)
and fullness in the ear.
2. How is sudden hearing loss diagnosed?
• The sudden change in hearing is obvious to you and may be accompanied
by loud ringing, vertigo (spinning sensation or balance problems), and/or
pressure in the ear and should be evaluated as quickly as possible. Your health
care provider will take a comprehensive history and complete a physical exam.
Routine labs and x-rays are not recommended, but a hearing test (audiogram)
should be done.
3. Will my hearing come back?
• Approximately 1/3 to 2/3 of patients with SSNHL may recover some
percentage of their hearing within two weeks. Those who recover half of their
hearing in the first two weeks have a better prognosis. Patients with minimal
change within the first two weeks are unlikely to show significant recovery.
Additionally, patients with dizziness at the time of onset of SSNHL have a
poorer prognosis.
4. Is there additional testing needed with SSNHL?
• SSNHL can rarely be associated with benign tumors of the vestibular
nerve. These tumors are called vestibular schwannomas and can lead to
progressive hearing loss, balance problems and in some cases compression of
the brainstem with severe neurologic symptoms. Your provider may order
an MRI to screen for these tumors. While an MRI of the brain and internal
auditory canals is the most sensitive test, some patients opt for an ABR. This
is a less sensitive screening tool but is less expensive and does not require
being in the confined space of the MRI machine. If the ABR is abnormal,
good practice requires an MRI.
