Sudden hearing loss (Sensori- neural) is a frightening symptom and a medical emergency, recently awareness of this condition has come after a celebrity singer got inflicted by the same. Here the patient will experience a sudden reduction in hearing within 72 hrs which is not due to wax collection or a fluid build up in the ear. Immediate recognition is critical since there is only a small window of time during which the medical treatments help in successfully restoring the lost hearing to improve the patient's quality of life.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing loss are mostly idiopathic in nature but can also occur in identifiable causes such as auto-immune, neoplastic, infective, ototoxicity etc. The results of its debilitating consequences resulting from missed diagnosis and management need to be addressed. In the US only , about 66,000 new cases are reported per year would give an idea of the magnitude of this condition. There is a need to understand the handicap faced by the permanent loss of a sensory organ and hearing loss patients are first evaluated by primary health care providers or at emergency rooms of hospitals rather than an Otolaryngologist.
