Sudden hearing loss - what to do? - Living with hearingloss.at

First aid for hearing

Suddenly your hearing is gone or significantly reduced, everything sounds as if through cotton - in one ear or both ears: wait or go straight to the doctor? And what if hearing doesn't come back?

One morning your hairdryer or electric shaver sound as usual on one side, but suddenly you can't hear them on the other? Road traffic or family members - everything sounds like it's coming through absorbent cotton? Do familiar noises suddenly sound different? Is it unusually difficult to localize sound sources and does everyone suddenly speak indistinctly during conversations in noisy surroundings? Sudden hearing loss can manifest itself in different ways, especially if it occurs on one side.

Reasons for sudden hearing loss

There are numerous possible triggers for sudden hearing loss. After attending a concert, for example, many patients report hearing loss, which usually disappears after a few hours. This is referred to as a "temporary threshold shift". A severe cold or earwax in the ear canal, a loud bang or various illnesses can also cause sudden hearing problems. Sometimes the problem resolves itself within a short time, other times medical intervention is necessary.

Have it clarified straight away or wait and see?

Regardless of the possible cause, if pain is associated with hearing loss, you should consult an expert as soon as possible. Otherwise, the first thing to do is to give yourself and your own hearing a little rest in the literal sense. Under no circumstances should you poke around in your ear - neither with a cotton bud nor with other objects or aids.

If your hearing has not fully recovered after one or two days, you should see a medical professional immediately! Depending on the cause, sometimes a medical cleaning of the ear canal is sufficient. In other cases, further examinations or medication will be recommended. In many cases, you will be able to hear again in the foreseeable future.

What to do if the hearing loss persists?

If you still have hearing loss despite all your efforts, you should provide support the ear in question! Even if you only have poor hearing on one side, conversations in everyday situations with background noise become much more stressful. Untreated hearing loss can have serious social and psychological consequences over a long period of time. Swift action can prevent such subsequent problems. The sooner you intervene, the easier it is for your central auditory system to get used to the new auditory impressions with the help of hearing aids.

Support through hearing systems

A hearing aid acoustician you trust can work with you to find a suitable device. If a conventional hearing aid does not meet your individual requirements, hearing implants can help. Your ENT specialist or the specialists at the implant clinic will be happy to advise you.