How is sudden sensorineural hearing loss diagnosed?
The diagnosis can only be made by specialized hearing testing by an otolaryngologist (ENT specialist) or an audiologist. Pure-tone thresholds, speech discrimination scores, acoustic reflex testing, and distortion product otoacoustic emission testing, the parts of a complete audiometric evaluation, are performed to confirm the diagnosis of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss. A comprehensive evaluation by an otolaryngologist (ENT) and an audiologist will ensure that the loss is nerve-related, and not due to fluid, infection, or a perforation, or hole in the eardrum. An MRI scan of the brain, with gadolinium contrast, is also performed to exclude the presence of a cerebellopontine angle tumor, such as a vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma). How is sudden sensorineural hearing loss treated? If you do have sudden sensorineural hearing loss, treatment with steroids within the first 2 weeks of the symptoms provides the best chance that some of the hearing may return. The gold standard th
