Unilateral Sudden Tinnitus and Hearing Loss? Doctor reminds to seek medical attention within 72 hours

A 40 year old female office worker surnamed Liao suddenly developed high-frequency tinnitus in her right ear one day. At first, she thought it was due to high pressure and didn't pay much attention. Later, when she answered the phone, she found that the sound she heard in her right ear had become far away and blurry, accompanied by a slight dizziness and a feeling of stuffiness in her ears, which made her realize that something was wrong. After going to the hospital for examination, it was diagnosed as "sudden sensorineural hearing loss", commonly known as "sudden deafness".

Fortunately, she went to see the doctor earlier. The doctor gave her high-dose oral steroids to suppress neuroinflammation. After two to three weeks of treatment, her hearing returned to normal and her tinnitus completely disappeared.

Dr. Qiu Yibin, a neurologist at the National Taiwan University Branch in Hsinchu, Taiwan, reminds that many people have experienced tinnitus, often feeling that it is just too tired, stressed, or not sleeping well. But if tinnitus occurs suddenly and only in one ear, accompanied by hearing loss, ear stuffiness or dizziness, it may be a warning sign of "sudden sensorineural hearing loss", commonly known as "ear stroke".

If left untreated, this disease may cause permanent hearing loss. So it is important to seize the golden treatment period of 72 hours to 1 week after onset and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Qiu Yibin said that there are many reasons for tinnitus, including emotional stress, sleep disorders, noise exposure, and aging. Most tinnitus does not pose a threat to health, but if it appears suddenly, only on one side, and persists, it is important to be alert. This type of tinnitus is sometimes associated with acute lesions in the auditory nerve or inner ear blood vessels. If left for too long, it may cause irreversible hearing damage.