Sudden hearing loss patients increase… Periodic disinfection of earphones is important
Drug treatment such as steroids and blood circulation enhancers is common.
Mr. A, an office worker living in Seoul, had repeated symptoms of hearing loss and a blocked ear in one ear. Recently, he also experienced tinnitus. Mr. A visited an otolaryngologist and was diagnosed with sudden onset of tinnitus.
According to the medical community on the 23rd, sudden hearing loss is a sensorineural hearing loss that occurs when a hearing loss of 30 dB or more occurs in three or more consecutive frequencies within three days in a pure tone audiometry test, and is sometimes accompanied by noise in the ears, a feeling of fullness in the ears, or dizziness.
In particular, sudden hearing loss is increasing, especially among the younger generation. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of patients with sudden hearing loss increased by about 23% from 84,049 in 2018 to 103,474 in 2022. In particular, the number of people in their 20s increased by more than 40%, from 8,240 to 11,557. The causes of sudden hearing loss are diverse, but the increase among the younger generation is understood to be due to stress and excessive use of earphones.
Treatment of sudden hearing loss is carried out by excluding possible causes one by one. The direction of the ear where the hearing loss occurred, the time of occurrence, the presence of accompanying symptoms such as ear fullness, tinnitus, and dizziness, other ear diseases such as otitis media, and other underlying diseases are identified. Afterwards, the eardrum is examined, and a hearing test is performed to determine the type and degree of hearing loss. Since there is a possibility that hearing loss is due to other causes, a judgment is made by synthesizing the examination and test results.
Treatment for sudden hearing loss of unknown cause usually involves drug treatment, such as oral steroids or blood circulation enhancers. In addition, depending on the suspected cause or symptoms, steroids may be injected directly into the eardrum or surgical treatment may be considered. All treatments are conducted with hearing tests and observation of the treatment progress.
Since the cause of the disease has not been identified, there is no specific preventive method for sudden hearing loss. However, if there is an underlying disease, it will be difficult to treat sudden hearing loss, so you should pay attention to your health management on a regular basis. Regular exercise, as well as quitting smoking and drinking, are realistic preventive methods to improve the prognosis (treatment progress) and reduce the possibility of complications. In addition, regularly disinfecting and keeping the earphones you use clean to prevent otitis externa in advance will also help prevent sudden hearing loss.
Professor Choi Jun of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Korea University Ansan Hospital advised, “Since the treatment effect decreases significantly after 1 to 3 months from the onset of hearing loss, if you have trouble hearing or experience tinnitus or dizziness, you should visit a specialist as soon as possible and begin treatment to preserve your hearing.”
If you need to use a hearing aid after a specialist diagnosis, it is recommended to visit a specialized center. Choi Young-ju, an audiologist at Unitron Hearing Aid, said, “When hearing loss comes, everyone is confused,” and added, “If you need to wear a hearing aid after seeing a specialist and receiving an accurate diagnosis, it is most important to visit a hearing aid specialized center to receive accurate hearing tests, hearing aid subsidy support benefits, hearing aid fitting services, and continuous management.”
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2024-08-24 00:23:35