New Video Created on Intra-Tympanic Steroid Injection for Sudden Hearing Loss

A new video has been uploaded to our office's YouTube Channel on Intra-Tympanic Steroid Injection used to treat patients who suffer sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The steroid injection is usually with decadron, though other types of steroids including methylprednisolone has been used.

Watch the video here on YouTube or below.

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WP Medical Mystery: Sudden Hearing Loss

The Washington Post on 7/27/10 published a story in its Medical Mystery segment describing a patient who had sudden onset of hearing loss in one ear with tinnitus (or buzzing in the ear). This sudden hearing loss is known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss and is considered an urgent issue for which a patient needs to see an ENT as soon as possible.

Why? Because treatment is most effective if given within 4 weeks of hearing loss onset. Treatment is with either high dose prednisone and/or steroid injection directly into the affected ear, a procedure known as intratympanic steroid injection.

Read the Washington Post article here.

Read more about sudden hearing loss here.

Of note, our office provides both forms of treatment.

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Airline Sued Over A Toddler Screaming On The Airplane

Time Magazine published a story 7/20/10 describing a situation where Qantas Airlines was sued by a passenger who allegedly lost her hearing when a toddler on board screamed near her.

The passenger claimed that the Qantas flight crew was negligent in failing to take precautions to protect passengers and that she had suffered permanent hearing loss as a result.

Of note, the patient already wore hearing aids due to hearing loss.

Though most reasonable folks would side with the airline in that: "Plaintiff's injuries, if any, were caused by the arbitrary and volitional act of a three-year-old child. Flight attendants cannot predict when children aboard an aircraft are about to scream. There is no evidence that the child was screaming in the terminal, or on board the aircraft prior to the particular scream which allegedly caused the damage."

However, the passenger does have the legitimate point that loud noises can cause hearing loss... even sudden hearing loss.

Of note... the case was settled out of court.

Read more here.

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Sudden Hearing Loss Can Be Due to Erectile Dysfunction Medications (Cialis, Viagra, etc)

It's been a few years since the warning has come out from the FDA regarding sudden hearing loss in men who take viagra, cialis, and other erectile dysfunction (ED) medications. A recent study determined that it may actually double the risk of hearing loss. With sudden hearing loss, one can also experience tinnitus as well as ear fullness.

As such, it's nice to review this rare condition that may lead to permanent hearing loss, tinnitus, ear fullness for which only hearing aids may help. Of course, one can suffer this sudden condition without taking such medications.

If you experience sudden hearing loss (whether taking ED medications or not), see your local ENT as soon as possible as there is a window of opportunity during which certain interventions may help reverse and restore your hearing back to normal! Such intervention include:

• High doses of prednisone
• Intratympanic steroid injection into the ear
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Here are some sources on ED medications and sudden hearing loss:
FDA Warning
CNN
Wall Street Journal

Click here to read more about sudden hearing loss.

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