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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in the only hearing ear: patient characteristics and hearing outcome
1ENT Clinic, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Nadorstahl@hotmail.com
Objective:
To determine the otological outcome in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) in their only hearing ear.
Design:
Retrospective medical chart review study.
Setting:
Tertiary care hospital.
Patients:
Forty-five consecutive patients older than 18 years with sudden sensorineural hearing loss during a 10 year period (1985-1995), 9 of whom had ISSHL in their only hearing ear.
Intervention:
Daily audiometric tests, oral prednisolone (full available dose), and bed rest for at least a week.
Main Outcome Measure:
The audiometric result 7 to 10 days following the start of treatment was used as the treatment outcome.
Results:
Demographic characteristics were not significantly different between patients with ISSHL whose contralateral ear is deaf and those whose contralateral ear hears well. A tendency to seek help sooner (2.8 +/- 1.4 vs 7.1 +/- 5.2 days [mean +/- SD], respectively) was noted. The mean +/- SD improvement of hearing in the 3 more affected frequencies was 13 +/- 13.4 dB for the investigated group compared with 9 +/- 8.7dB for the rest of the patients (not statistically significant). Of the 9 patients who previously had sensorineural hearing loss in the opposite ear, 5 showed end results of speech reception thresholds of 35 dB or better, as did 13 of the 36 patients in the other group.
Conclusions:
Patients with ISSHL in their only hearing ear may be treated the same way as other patients because their outcome appears to be the same. About 50% of the patients will have a 10 dB or more hearing improvement, and about 60% of patients in the investigated group will regain useful hearing.
